


Empty Virtue

by Chessanator



Category: Zero Escape (Video Games), Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward - Fandom
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, All other VLR Characters, Alternative Perspective, At some point before the end of the fic Phi will realise Zero is a rabbit, Branching Story, Cameos from Aoi and Light, Flow Diagram, Gen, Headcanon, Latin, Play the Game First, Plot Locks, Seek a Way Out, Suicide, Untranslated Latin, Updates Fortnightly, ambidex game, mature themes, nonary game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-11
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2018-03-22 08:43:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 77
Words: 282,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3722530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chessanator/pseuds/Chessanator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phi's perspective of the events of Virtue's Last Reward. Complete with Plot Locks and all nine characters' endings. Will the trials of her game repair the void in Phi's soul? Or will they break her, leaving her empty of virtue?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Storey, Going Up

**Author's Note:**

> A fanfiction in the style of the original visual novel, complete with choices and plot locks. Warning: Flagrant and pervasive Spoilers for Virtue's Last Reward in its entirety.
> 
> Virtue's Last Reward is owned by Spike Chunsoft, and the Nonary Game is owned by Cradle Pharmaceutical.

Phi huddled against the cold wall of the elevator, trying to suppress the pounding in her head. How had she got there? The last thing she remembered was being engulfed by white smoke in a Las Vegas alleyway; as she collapsed she had been grabbed under the arms by a masked figure and dragged into a side-entrance of a building. She wondered why she had been taken: though she could think of many secrets – Vegas secrets – that would attract a special interest in her, she couldn’t imagine any enemy sufficiently desperate, powerful and competent to organise such a brazen and methodical kidnapping – in broad daylight, and completed so swiftly that Phi was unconscious even before she realised it had happened – at least, no enemy that powerful which also had a specific grudge against her. Phi resolutely collected her thoughts and oriented herself: her mind needed to be as clear as possible if she was to evaluate her situation. Though her legs still trembled from the effects of whatever anaesthetic had been used to kidnap her – she decided to conserve her strength rather than attempt to stand – she prepared herself to do whatever was necessary to understand her situation.

Phi examined the elevator carefully. It was immediately obvious that she was trapped. Though she could not yet reach the control panel for the elevator door, which was in the opposite corner of the room, the imposingly thick steel doors, along with the manner by which she had been imprisoned in the elevator, clearly implied that she was intended to remain there for some time and that the controls would not soon allow a way out. The centre was dominated by a strange device: presumably some sort of computer judging by the screen, but with the screen off and no input device visible the purpose of the computer was impossible to determine. The opposite wall had a rail with coloured ends and buttons numbered one to nine above it; Phi arched her neck to confirm the existence of a similar setup on her side of the wall and pressed the closest buttons, to no effect. The only other item within reach or sight was the box she was leaning against. It was red, with a figure of a fire extinguisher in white on the front. In the corner of the box was a tiny keyhole: Phi considered picking the lock as something proactive to do, but discovered to her alarm – though not surprise – that her lockpicks had been removed from her pockets.

Phi thoroughly checked the rest of her possessions. Black flower? Still attached to her hair. Clothes? As she remembered them. Broach? Thank goodness, it was still there, though the scuff marks and sheen of grease on it suggested that it had been handled frequently by the kidnappers since she had last looked at it.

She held the broach reverentially between her hands and whispered the motto on the back, “Elapsam semel occasionem non ipse potest Iuppiter reprehendere.” She didn’t intend to miss any opportunities to escape this predicament. For the meanwhile, though, there were no opportunities to be had: the logical option was to allow herself to recover and wait for the kidnappers’ next move.

It was then that she noticed that she had one new item in her possession. A black bracelet had been attached to her left wrist. She tried to remove it, or at least manipulate it so that she could examine it more thoroughly, but it was fastened tightly and refused to budge. On the front of the bracelet was a screen displaying a large red three; underneath it was the word ‘PAIR’. She turned her attention to the buttons on either side of the screen, pressing first the button closest to her hand then the other one, with no perceivable response from the bracelet. Some intuition told Phi that the purpose of buttons was a problem she could solve. Perhaps some pattern of button presses would get a response? It was likely to be a pattern that used both buttons and was natural for the human mind; she settled on an alternating pattern: right, left, right, left… She continued the pattern far longer than it would take most to give up, but failed to get a result. Perhaps she had to hold down the buttons for longer? Phi continued to experiment with the bracelet.

 

She didn’t notice the other occupant of the room, slumped on the other side of the strange computer, until he stirred. So that’s what ‘PAIR’ on the bracelet meant. He seemed to be even more affected by the aftereffects of the anaesthetic than she was, judging from his shaky voice as he awoke, but he still dragged himself up off the floor where he had lain. Phi got a closer look at him as he stumbled into the middle of the room. He was an old man with greying bedraggled hair, wearing an incongruously garish blue shirt. He hadn’t noticed her yet, because he was focused on the elevator door.

The old man muttered to himself, “Where the hell am I? Looks like an elevator.” His voice was deep, but surprisingly smooth for his age.

“Isn’t that obvious?” Phi said tersely. She didn’t feel good about snapping at the man, but she figured it was only natural for her to be wary around the first person she met after being knocked unconscious and locked up.

The man turned around with a gasp, revealing his most striking feature: his right eye was artificial. Robotic eyes were not unknown, but they were rare, and Sigma’s eye appeared to be a custom model with the metallic rim blending sleekly into the contours of his face. Either Sigma was unusually wealthy, or he had incredibly generous insurance. Perhaps he was a veteran: soldiers were regularly accelerated up the queues for experimental robotic prosthetics. Phi considered the possibility that Sigma…

Wait. How did she know that his name was Sigma?

“Cute. That’s my name. I’m asking you… Wait a second, how do you know my name?!” Sigma said.

Phi realised she had carried on a conversation with Sigma on autopilot, and had blurted out Sigma’s name.

“I haven’t met you before, have I?” Sigma continued.

Phi didn’t have an answer for him. It was rather disconcerting, not knowing how she knew. “No you haven’t. I don’t have any idea who you are. But…”

“But what? How could you know my name?”

“How the hell am I supposed to know? I just… know it, okay?”

Sigma’s expression hardened. “No need to bite my head off. It’s just, you’re not really making any sense here and you still haven’t told me who you are.”

Phi bristled under such suspicion.  “Shut up! Just back off, Grandpa!” Phi had expected some anger or shock from Sigma, and was surprised to find that Sigma was only confused by her outburst. She decided to explain her thoughts to Sigma to escape the awkwardness of the moment. “Look, I just don’t know, all right? It’s just kind of… there. Like, I looked at you and some part of my brain just said, ‘That’s Sigma’.” Unfortunately, he still seemed insistent on pressing the matter.

Phi attempted to distract Sigma. “What do you think this thing is? This bracelet.”

Sigma’s eyes darted instinctively down his left arm. Distraction mission successful.

Phi followed his gaze to his wrist. “See? You’ve got one too. They’re pretty much identical.”

Indeed, Sigma’s bracelet also displayed a red three and the word ‘PAIR’. Sigma examined the bracelet much as Phi had done, then started straining to remove it.

“Good luck. I spent a while trying to get mine off while you were napping,” Phi explained, “It’s on pretty tight. Doesn’t even have a clasp or anything.”

“What about these buttons on the sides?”

Phi recalled that she had been experimenting with those very buttons when Sigma had woken up, without success. She explained to him what she had attempted.

Sigma said, “What the hell is going on here?! Somebody better start explaining, or…”

 

Almost as if it activated on Sigma’s cue, a screen above the elevator controls lit up with a sickly glow. Phi dragged Sigma over to it, and they watched as a cartoon-like figure appeared with grating childish laughter.

“How’re you feeling? I am Zero III! The king of this kingdom.”

So this was the enemy: a representative of their kidnappers. The avatar looked like some sort of rodent, but it was adorned with gaudy markings of flowers. Adding to the sheer ridiculousness of his appearance was the gilded scarlet headwear that took up what seemed like half the screen.

“What is that?” Sigma asked.

“A rat?” Phi said.

“Uh, no. Pretty sure it’s a rabbit.”

Phi ignored his response. The mouse on the screen had waited for them to finish, but it then hopped forward to continue its announcement.

“I’m sure you’ve got looooooots…” Zero dragged out the vowel so painfully long that Phi winced, “of questions! It just seems silly to have a big old chit-chat right now, so… I’m gonna give you a game to play! I’m calling it… The Nonary Game: Ambidex Edition! There’s more to it! Lots more! But if I told you now, that would be cheating. So hurry up and get out! I’ll be waiting!”

Phi considered this. Was this the motive for kidnapping Sigma and her? To force them into some strange game? It seemed such a trivial goal given the effort and resources that had to have been used to take them.

Zero continued his speech, “Oh right! I forgot to tell you the most. Important. Thing. This elevator you’re in. It’s gonna fall in a few minutes. Way down. Have a nice trick!” With that, screen turned off.

Sigma hammered angrily at the screen. “Goddamnit! This is bullshit! That stupid rabbit didn’t tell us anything! How are we even supposed to get out of here?”

Phi scowled. Even in the small portion of the room she had examined so far, there were enough clues to begin solving the puzzle. Surely Sigma realised that if their captives intended escape to be impossible, they would choose a much cheaper, simpler method of killing them than dropping them in an elevator. “It’s just a puzzle. That means we can solve it. You want answers about why we’re here? If you want them then you have to help me get us out of here. You don’t want to die here anymore than me. Let’s go,” Phi replied. It was time to seek a way out.

 

Sigma pointed towards the device at the back of the elevator. “Looks like that’s gonna be important for the puzzle, especially with that safe underneath it,” he remarked, pointing out a dull metallic box in a recess under the screen of the device.

“Clearly,” said Phi, “Just as clearly, it’s going to be at the _end_ of the puzzle. See, it’s missing something.” She pointed at a row of empty slots to the bottom right of the screen of the device. “We’ll have to start somewhere else. Like here.” Phi led Sigma over to the one item in the room she had been able to examine in detail while she was recovering: the fire extinguisher box. “Look at this. These are instructions for a fire extinguisher, but what it says seems… weird.”

Sigma examined the directions, and then peered at the hole on the extinguisher box that the instructions pointed out. “Wait a second!” he exclaimed. He darted around the device to the other corner. Phi couldn’t see what he was doing, but he came back a moment later dragging a fire extinguisher. He pulled the pin from the lever and flourished it at Phi.

“Heh,” Phi remarked, “You could have just brought the pin here instead of lugging the entire thing.”

Sigma chuckled, and Phi couldn’t help but grin with him. Despite the danger hanging over them, it was pleasant to know they were making some progress. Sigma knelt beside the box and carefully placed the key in the hole. He opened the box and took out a plastic case, which he showed to Phi; it’s polyurethane insides contained four small metallic objects which Phi recognised as heads for tools, as well as four indentations where something – most likely the handles of said tools – had been removed. There was something familiar about the shape of those holes. Where had she seen that before? Phi closed her eyes so she could better visualise the shape of the handles and leaned back against the rail. Just before she got comfortable, the end of the rail gave way and she fell painfully onto the solid metal floor. Seething with embarrassment, Phi took a moment to get her bearings before opening her eyes. When she did, Sigma was standing over her, offering his left arm to help her up while the other held the item she had slipped on. It was the red knob that had been at the end of the rail; it was clearly one of the handles they were looking for.

“Hey, well done. You found it.”

Phi frowned as she pulled herself to her feet with Sigma’s help. His arm was strangely smooth compared to his weathered face, but Phi was still too dazed to consciously notice it. She pushed past him into the centre of the elevator.

“Ugh. That never happened.”

Sigma waved his hands apologetically. “We all make mistakes. Sure, that never happened. Let’s go and collect the others; take your mind off it.”

Phi would much rather that she never made any mistakes at all, but she found herself warming to the old man. She took the chance he offered and headed over to the other rail, whose ends came off just as easily and less disastrously, while Sigma did the same for the other end of the rail she’d fallen from. She tossed the acquired handles over to Sigma and he compared them to the ends.

“Any good?” she asked.

Sigma fiddled with them. “Damnit!” he replied, “This head doesn’t fit.” He waved the head and handle he’d attempted to fit together. “I can keep trying…”

“Don’t bother,” Phi stopped him. She gestured around the room. “There’s going to be some hint in here to tell us which one goes with which. It’s more… elegant, that way.”

Sigma looked thoughtful. “What if we were to find where they’re gonna be used? There’s gotta be a hint there.”

“Great idea!” Phi replied. She spun around, taking in as much of the room as possible. Her gaze settled on the elevator controls and slid down the panel. Beneath the controls was a grate; Phi knelt to get a closer look at it. In each corner were strangely shaped screw.

“Sigma!” Phi called, “Are the screwdriver heads different shapes? Try attaching the yellow handle to the triangular head.”

There was a pause as Sigma found the correct handle. “It worked! How did you…”

Phi cut him off, “Now put the pentagonal head with the green handle...”

When all the screwdrivers were complete, Sigma came over to the grill. Phi rolled out of the way so that he could unscrew the grill. As Sigma released the last screw he looked over at Phi and smirked.

“And Sigma is the ‘screwing’ champion! Come on, admit it, aren’t I?”

Phi nearly said something naïve, but then she saw how he was looking at her and followed his entendre. She smacked him across the back of his head.

“I’m pretty sure that would be ‘unscrewing’ champion, and no, I have no idea what that would mean in your dirty little mind.”

Sigma chuckled again, and then pulled the grating away from the wall. Out slid a tray containing some sort of sliding block puzzle.

Sigma groaned, “Damnit, these are hard.”

Phi looked over his shoulder, “This is seriously a kid’s puzzle, you know that, right?” Phi was actually starting to enjoy this; Sigma and she had got a good rhythm with their putdowns, albeit with Sigma’s contributions being ‘below the belt’ in more ways than one.

Sigma gave up on the puzzle and moved aside to let Phi get a closer look. A few careful tilts later and Phi had extricated the target block from the confines of the obstacle blocks. With a wry grin in Sigma’s direction she pushed down on the right side of the tray and the block slid to the goal area.

“You see, it’s a kid’s puzzle,” she said.

Sigma was about to respond when the puzzle reacted to her success. A slot on the front of the tray opened and presented a green memory card. Phi grabbed it and took it over to the matching slot on the central computer. As she placed the card in the slot the screen of the computer lit up, casting a blinding glow across Phi’s vision. Phi hoped for a moment that this meant that the device had started functioning, but the glow didn’t change at all, and touching the screen accomplished nothing.

“Looks like we’ll need the other two,” she remarked.

 

Discounting the items they’d already used, the room looked incredibly sparse. The only things left to examine were the button panels, one of which was the set of controls for the elevator – just below the screen Zero had delivered his introduction from – while the other two ran above the handrails on each side. Phi focused on the rails, and examined the icons above them.

“That one looks like an old man,” she said to Sigma – she couldn’t think of any suitably funny way to reference his age in connection with it, and Sigma didn’t seem to notice – “and the one opposite looks like a baby.” Phi sighed. “I wish I had one.”

“You like kids?” Sigma asked.

Phi wondered why she was feeling so maternal. She didn’t usually have time to think about such things back in Vegas. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“There some guy you’re planning to make some with?”

Phi turned around nervously: five minutes in his company meant she knew Sigma well enough to see where this was going. “H-Hey! No, there is not!”

Sigma dropped his punchline, “You wanna make one here, then?”

Phi glared at him across the room. How had she fallen into that one? “You stay away from me, alright!? Don’t even think about doing anything! If any part of you touches me, even by accident, I will break it off! We clear?!”

Sigma jumped back. “I was just joking. Since I want to keep all my parts, how about we just carry on with the puzzle. Do you think the baby and old man have something to do with this?” He handed her a rolled up poster.

Phi unrolled it to examine the image. It showed various drawings of people of various ages. “Sure,” she said. She counted the number of babies in the drawing and pressed button number 4. She called over to Sigma, “Do you think that rail wants just the old men, or all old people?”

Sigma bent down to look more closely at the image. Phi would have sworn that she heard his artificial eye whirring to zoom in.

“It looks like it wants all old people,” he answered.

“Press seven, then.”

Sigma did so. There didn’t seem to be any response anywhere in the room, but there was still one more panel of numbers to use.

“A rabbit?” Phi said, looking at the picture above the elevator controls, “What does this have to do with anything?”

Sigma glanced at her strangely, as if she were being stupid. “It’s obviously about Zero,” he replied.

Phi contemplated this. “I suppose this was where Zero appeared…” she muttered.

Sigma ignored her and pressed zero. The second memory card slid out from below the rabbit icon.

“Yes!” Sigma took the memory card and placed it next to the previous one. For a brief moment green light bathed Sigma’s face, projecting the outline of a three by three grid similar to the pad on the front of the safe, before Sigma tapped the screen with a finger and the image disappeared.

“Did you get that?” Phi asked with alarm. The password, if that was what it was, had disappeared from the screen frightfully quickly.

“Yeah, of course,” Sigma answered, “I’m always remembering shit.”

“Interesting… you have a photographic memory, if you remembered it that quickly.”

Sigma bent down to input the password. Phi was just wondering why they had been given the safe password with only two of the three memory card slots filled when she realised Sigma had paused.

“Zero… III… Zero… III,” he was muttering. Suddenly he jumped up and paced back over to the elevator controls. He pressed button three. With one final memory card grasped in his hand, Sigma came back to the computer screen. He placed the card in the last empty slot and the screen turned blue; Sigma looked at the new password on the screen and memorised it just as quickly. Phi didn’t get how she had missed that. It seemed like Sigma was good for more than just dirty jokes.

 

Sigma looked at the safe and typed one of the passwords. Phi crouched beside him to see what was inside the safe as it opened. Sigma pulled out a gold clad file, while Phi examined the back of the safe.

“It’s got a false back,” she said. “See? It can just flip around. Kind of like those hidden passages in mansions and stuff. That’s why we got two passwords. If you put in a different password, you get different stuff. Quick, put in the other password!”

She looked over at Sigma, who was still reading from the file.

“We don’t have time for that, Sigma! The elevator could drop at any moment.”

Sigma looked up from the file. “Huh? I don’t think it will. Listen to this.” He started reading from the first sheet in the file, “‘AB room: This is where you play the AB game. It appears to be an elevator car.’ It’s got of picture of this as well…” Sigma pointed out the screen he’d got the passwords from. “So this place won’t drop. It isn’t actually an elevator.” Sigma stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I wonder what ‘AB game’ means?”

“No idea,” Phi answered, “but unless you want to spend the rest of your life reading that, you still need to open up the other side of the safe.”

“Sure, sure.” Sigma closed the safe and put in the other password. Phi heard the partition spin round exposing the other compartment. The door popped open and Sigma grabbed the key from inside. He brandished it in the air. “We found it!” he shouted. “Wait, where do we use this?”

Phi shrugged sarcastically. “We’re nearly ready to open the door. Maybe you should try to use the key over at the door.” She pointed out the keyhole and transparent panel above the elevator control panel.

Sigma went over and examined the keyhole. “You ready? I’m gonna put the key in.” he said.

“You don’t need to ask me everytime you’re going to do something. Just hurry it up,” Phi replied.

Sigma placed the key in and the panel sprung open. Sigma hovered his hand over the red button that this exposed. “Are you ready?”

Why did he have to keep asking? Was he trying to frustrate her? Actually, Phi figured, he probably was.“Just do it!” Phi shouted.

“All right, all right, message received,” Sigma replied. He tapped out a drumroll on the metal plating. “Three. Two. One!” His hand slammed down on the button.

 

Phi had by this point creeped all the way up to Sigma to peer over his shoulder and make sure he actually did press the button. So when a terrible grinding screech boomed from the ceiling behind her, making her think the elevator was actually falling after all, she jumped forward in shock, wrapping her arms around Sigma’s torso.

Sigma shivered nervously. “That doesn’t mean you’re gonna break off my entire chest, does it?”

Phi took a moment to remember which of Sigma’s over-the-line jokes he was referring to. “Don’t worry,” she replied, “Just don’t do it again.”

Sigma pondered. “You mean, don’t solve-a-puzzle-set-by-a-psychotic-animated-rabbit-to-escape-a-pretend-elevator-that-probably-isn’t-gonna-hurtle-down-and-kill-us-because-it-isn’t-actually-an-elevator-but-we-still-want-out-of-by-getting-a-key-from-a-safe-and-then-pressing-a-giant-red-button-that-causes-a-ceiling-hatch-to-open-frightening-you-so-much-that-you-jump-gladly-into-my-arms again?” Sigma asked breathlessly.

“Yeah,” Phi replied, “Don’t do… that… again.” She then realised what Sigma had inserted into his long sentence. “It wasn’t fright,” she explained, “It was… um… survival instinct.”

“Sure,” Sigma replied, “Survival instinct.” He then pointed at the hole in the ceiling. “All right, it’s open. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Phi paused. The ceiling was far too high for one person to reach. There was a solution, but… well, how long would it be before Sigma suggested it?

“Guess it’s a little too high for you,” Sigma said, “All right then. Climb up on my shoulders,”

Yes, he suggested it _._

Her distaste must have been clearly expressed on her face because Sigma tried to backpedal, “What’s that look supposed to mean? Oh come on! I’m just trying to be rational here. No ulterior motive, hand to God. Not like I’m hoping…” Here his left eye misted up, while the robotic eye rotated suggestively. “… to get my face sandwiched between a girls bare thighs.”

“I knew it! You sick bastard!”

There was a tense pause. Sigma hesitantly broke the silence, “Look, I’m just trying to get us out of here. You got any brilliant ideas that don’t involve your thighs?”

Unfortunately, Phi hadn’t. Fortunately, she could mitigate the indignity, if only slightly. “On your knees,” she instructed, “You’re a little tall for me to just jump on your shoulders and I’m certainly not going to give you the satisfaction of making me climb.”

Sigma tried his best at a heartbroken expression, but eventually acquiesced. Phi stepped beside his crouching form and placed her foot on the arch of his back. To her considerable alarm, as her foot pressed down she found herself rising steadily into the air. She passed rapidly through the circular hole and cleared the rim by several feet. Tumbling onto the metal roof, she scrambled clumsily to stop the uncontrolled motion.No one, Phi resolved, must ever find out that wasn’t intentional.

She heard Sigma call up through the open hatch, “What the heck are you?”

This was a perfect setup for a line Phi had prepared and wanted to use for some time. With possible death just around the corner and needing a chance to get her feet back under her – both literally and metaphorically – she recited it.

“I’m not Superman, that’s for sure. And I’m not Batman, or Spiderman, or Aquaman, a merman, or a wolfman. I’m not brahman, or common, or ramen. I’m not a caiman either, so you don’t really need to worry about anything.” She stretched out her hand to help Sigma up, taking in his perplexed expression. “My name is Phi. I guess you could say… I am no man.”

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

 


	2. Pigeon-holed

Phi hauled Sigma out of the hole and helped the old man to his feet. They surveyed the room they had been let into and the exterior of the ‘elevator’ they had escaped. From the outside the AB room was a very-near-featureless grey box; the only blemishes in the smooth metallic surface were the lid of the hatch they had escaped through, towering above them where it rested against the wall, and – Phi presumed, since she couldn’t see the front of the box from her position on the roof – the normal sliding door of the elevator. There were five similar boxes arrayed in a row along the wall; all of their hatches were also open except for the one on the far right.

Unfortunately, they had escaped from the captivity of the AB only into a slightly more expansive captivity. It was as though their kidnappers were taunting them. The room they had entered was a grey concrete-walled warehouse. There were four doors out of the warehouse, all solid metal and giving every impression of being impenetrably locked. Three of them were to Sigma and Phi’s right, staggered at regular intervals along the wall, and almost glowing with vibrant colours: magenta, yellow and cyan. The remaining door was even more staggering: marked in blood red with a number nine, held in place not just by its sheer size and weight but also by claw-like clamps, each giant rivet further emphasising the horrible strength of this ‘Number Nine Door’.

But the thing that completely confirmed the inescapability of the room was the crowd gathered in front of the Number Nine Door. For one fleeting, fearful moment, Phi assumed that these were the kidnappers, waiting patiently for Sigma and her. Fortunately, a quick reassessment showed that the five people before her were fellow victims. Any guards sent to control those escaping from the AB rooms would have had weapons at the ready and trained on them; instead, the people at the door were not even looking at them. In fact they were trying futilely to open the Number Nine Door; they were as trapped as Sigma and Phi. Phi was shocked to see a rather young child among them. She could barely imagine what sort of scheme required Zero to abduct a child.

 

Phi had expected Sigma to require help getting down, or at least to hang by his arms from the lip of the roof in order to shorten the fall, but he seemed comfortable jumping down much as Phi had. Phi was worried the old man would injure himself, but she didn’t press the matter in case Sigma remarked about her unnaturally high jump. It would be disastrous if her first introduction to these new people was accompanied by suspicion from her companion.

At the sound of their landing, the kid turned and ran towards them. His green jacket fluttered behind him in time with the bounce of his step, the utilitarian brown helmet covering his messy blonde hair barely staying on his head because the chin-strap was unused.

“Hey, new people!” the kid called to the group behind him. “Hello, Mister, Miss,” he greeted Sigma and Phi, “I’m Quark”. Phi was warmed to see that Quark seemed unaffected by the severity of the situation.

They told Quark their names and he introduced them to the other people. First, hobbling hesitantly after Quark was a Japanese man, even older than Sigma, in a creased blue shirt and a loose tie. Quark introduced him as Mister Tenmyouji, but he stuttered slightly as he said it and Phi wondered if he had nearly said something else.

Striding purposefully past Tenmyouji came Alice. She was dressed in a manner Phi could only describe as ‘minimalistic’. She wondered for a moment if the kidnappers had removed her clothes, but Alice was so unselfconscious that it had to be how she usually dressed.

Hovering timidly closer to the door was an immaculately dressed lady with a soft kind smile. She introduced herself with a high but steady voice as Luna.

Finally, still testing the Number Nine Door was a man who Quark called Dio, who was so focused on the Number Nine Door that he hadn’t noticed Phi and Sigma’s arrival. As they approached he stood up and kicked angrily at the metal plating; his ostentatious red longcoat whirled furiously across his shoulders with the force of the kick. Dio’s foot struck the door with a sickening thud and he stumbled back in pain, spinning around on his other foot to face away from the door.

Phi began, succumbing to a well-worn instinct, to scrutinise the others for weaknesses: Dio lacked impulse control and forethought, Tenmyouji was defensively wary of everyone but Quark, Luna was timid and indecisive, and Alice… Phi could barely read Alice at all… Phi shook her head to dismiss the train of thought. Having such conniving thoughts racing through her head unbidden was unpleasant; Phi wanted to use the chance to start afresh, rather than having the habits and reputation of her life cast shadows over her first impressions on these people.

At the very least, she would have to gain their trust if she was to find out more about the situation. She started by volunteering her account of her kidnapping. As she described the anaesthetic smoke that had knocked her out Alice took over, saying that she had been abducted using the same gas. According to Alice, the chemical in the smoke was called Soporil Beta and it had been popularised as a solution for riot control and hostage situations by the Japanese police force, but was available almost everywhere for use in hospitals. Phi thought that was an exaggeration – she had never heard of it – but accepted that the use of the chemical by their abductors didn’t narrow down the potential suspects. There was a pause as everyone took this in, then Tenmyouji, Luna and Dio murmured agreement; they had also been kidnapped using Soporil Beta.

“Which two of you came out the same elevator?” Phi asked. There was a shocked reaction from the others. Phi supposed they were wondering how she knew exactly two people were in the same elevator, but it seemed obvious to her. Five people got out before Sigma and her, four hatches were open, so there were at least two people in the same elevator. If there were more than two people in an elevator, or more than pair in an elevator, then there would be less than four groups. Eventually Quark answered: he and Dio were in the same elevator, the second closest to the Number Nine Door.

“I was the first to escape,” Alice interjected, “That means I saw who was in each elevator.” Luna had been in the furthest right – looking at them from the front – next to Dio and Quark. Alice had been in the third furthest right and Tenmyouji was in the second from the left.

Suddenly, Tenmyouji interrupted. “Can I see your bracelet there?” he asked Sigma. Tenmyouji studied the bracelet intensely, and then turned to look at Phi’s. “Hmph. I thought so. Quark, you and Dio show them your bracelets.” Those bracelets were identical to Phi’s except that they displayed blue text rather than red. Then Tenmyouji showed Phi his own bracelet: it was green, and as Phi had expected the text said ‘SOLO’ to indicate that Tenmyouji had been alone. Phi checked Luna’s and Alice’s bracelets as well: they also said ‘SOLO’ and were blue and red respectively. There was one thing about the bracelets Phi didn’t understand: all of them had a number 3, and there was no indication of what it might mean. Phi was about to ask when the final hatch opened.

 

Everyone turned in amazement as a giant figure leapt into the air, red cape billowing behind it. As it soared closer, Phi saw that it was clad in metal plates, a suit of armour that concealed the entire body. The suit of armour touched the ground gracefully, gently lowering the – Phi leaned in closer to get a better look – young woman it was carrying in its arms. She flopped limply onto the floor, her wild pink hair falling chaotically across her face.

Alice ran past Phi, shoving her aside. “Clover!” she yelled frantically. Clearly Alice knew this new arrival, Clover – Phi wondered what their relationship was. Alice knelt over the unconscious body and tried to shake her awake. When that failed she turned furiously on the armoured figure. “What did you do to her?!”

“Nothing,” the man in the suit of armour replied. His voice was smooth and deep with a strange electronic hum; it was clearly being amplified and altered by the suit. “She was like that when I woke up.” He raised his arm apologetically. “I really wouldn’t worry though. She should be alright. Her breathing is steady. I believe she is only sleeping.”

This barely placated Alice, but she turned back to Clover and cradled her tenderly. Instead, Tenmyouji stepped forward.

“So she hasn’t woken up since they kidnapped her.”

Phi couldn’t see the face of the man through the mask, but his entire visible body language indicated that he was confused by what Tenmyouji had said.

“Ah, kidnapped?” the masked man queried. This was a surprise. Everyone else had been abducted, but this man didn’t even understand what Tenmyouji was referencing. “Begging your pardon, but…I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean. Where are we? Who are you?”

Before anyone could answer Sigma interrupted, interrogating the armoured man forcefully. “Whoa, hold on! How about you tell us who you are, first? You leap out of that box…” Here Phi was glad that Sigma hadn’t brought up her own superhuman jump earlier; suspicion that ought to been directed at her fell solely on the newcomer. “… dressed like some kind of robot, carrying an unconscious girl, and we’ve only got your word you didn’t make her that way. I think you owe us an explanation, pal!”

The man took this calmly and paused thoughtfully before answering. “I’m… Who am I? I don’t remember… anything. I have no idea where I am, who I am, or even what day it is. If you happen to know any of these things, I would very much appreciate it if you shared that information. Not knowing one’s identity is… vexing.”

Phi did not have much time to consider this before Dio scoffed sceptically.

“Yeah, very original: the amnesiac routine! The guy who’s face we can’t see claims not to know who he is. How are we supposed to take you seriously when you’re wearing this… robot suit! Are you going to tell us someone forced you into it?”

The masked man pondered Dio’s question. “I assume so,” he guessed, “It seems the most reasonable explanation.”

Dio, Sigma and Tenmyouji seemed intent on grilling the mysterious man more thoroughly, but they were interrupted when Clover stirred, haltingly raising herself off the ground towards Alice.

“Alice…” she murmured, “Where are we?”

Alice filled Clover in while everyone else stood away respectfully to give them room to reunite. They spoke quietly until Alice said the words ‘Nonary Game’. Clover shook fitfully in Alice’s arms, despair leeching her face of life.

“No… no, that can’t…” Clover cried.

To give Clover time to recover, Phi went back to examining the masked man. The left arm of the suit of armour had a circular window of plastic, embedded just above the wrist, through which Phi could read a display similar to her own bracelet. As Phi had predicted from seeing everyone else’s bracelet, the text was green, with a large three and the word ‘PAIR’; Phi did not need to check to know that Clover’s bracelet had an identical display. As the man’s arm moved and the metal plates shifted above it, Phi saw the display rattle inside the window: it was in fact a bracelet inside the suit – snugly pressed against the window but distinct from the armour itself. Phi guessed that the bracelets had some sinister purpose beyond just displaying information and keeping track of the captives, since both could be accomplished merely by building those functions into the armour.

 

As the uproar about the last two arrivals died down, Phi finally had a chance to look at the other side of the warehouse, away from the Number Nine Door. The group of people had dispersed somewhat, with Alice tending to Clover in front of the AB rooms, Dio and Tenmyouji questioning the armoured man, and Luna and Sigma examining the magenta door. Phi followed Quark along the longer wall of the warehouse, past the AB rooms, to where an incomprehensible phrase had been spray-painted in huge red letters: ‘Two Milkmen Go Comedy’.

“What do you think that graffiti is?” Quark asked her.

Phi was bewildered. Everything else she had seen so far had at least been either elegantly logical, like the pattern of colours on the bracelet displays, or at least overtly hostile, like the personality of the animated mouse Zero. This was just… entirely nonsensical. Phi couldn’t imagine any reason why anyone would kidnap nine people and lock them in a warehouse so they could read senseless graffiti. Phi cleared her head: that she could not imagine a reason to write ‘Two Milkmen Go Comedy’ on the wall only meant that she had missed something important. She looked again at the phrase, the horrific grammar of it imprinting itself on her mind. That was when she realised: it was an anagram!

“An Anna… gram?” Sigma asked from behind her. He and Luna had snuck up while she was thinking.

“C’mon, seriously?” Phi replied, “You’ve never heard of an anagram?” She started thinking about how to solve it. Attempts to make a verb ending in the ‘ed’ of ‘Comedy’ went nowhere: there were plenty such words available from the letters but extracting any of them from the phrase didn’t leave any obvious way to continue. Instead, she starting looking at the small words she could make from the letters: ‘I’, ‘Me’, ‘My’, she dismissed ‘Go’ as it was already in the anagram, ‘To’… As she played around with the letters the word ‘Come’ in ‘Comedy’ came to the front of her mind. ‘Come’… ‘Come’… ‘Welcome’! With that word at the start, the rest of the letters fell into place.

“Welcome to my Kingdom,” she told the others. She gestured in the air, showing them how the letters would move from their locations on the wall to their positions in the solution.

 

“Hee, Hee, Heeeeee!” The disturbingly cheerful laugh of Zero emanated from speakers around the warehouse, echoes reverberating off the smooth concrete walls. “That’s right, Phido…” Phi could only assume that referred to her. “… Welcome, to _my_ Kingdom.”

Phi, Quark, Luna and Sigma whirled around. At the opposite end of the warehouse, on the wall next to the Number Nine Door, a screen of blue light had appeared, projected on the wall by some form of apparatus that had emerged from a slit in the floor. As everyone gathered close, the animated mouse that had been Zero’s avatar in the elevator reappeared in the middle of the projection with a malicious grin, magnified so that he was towering over the nine captives and revelling in their confusion.

Dio was the first to respond to Zero. “Where are you, you little bastard?! Too scared to come out and face me like a man?”

Zero stretched out his arms to gesture at the wall he was projected on. “I’m right here, Dio… or shall I call you BO?” The rodent mimed holding his nose mockingly.

Dio jumped back with shock as he realised that Zero knew his name. Phi sympathised with Dio’s discomfort, but wondered why he hadn’t expected the kidnappers to know. After all, they had had plenty of time to go through everyone’s personal effects and learn anything they wanted.

Zero continued, “Oh, you are an idiot: you want to see me in real life. I’m a rabbit. You really think talking rabbits are real things?”

Dio seethed as he spluttered out a furious response, “Of course I don’t. That’s not what I meant!”

The mouse chuckled and bounced around the confines of the projection. “Oooh, you want to see the person who’s controlling me? Maybe… Maybe you already are! Hee, hee!”

Sigma gasped. “Zero is one of _us_?”

“Well, yes, I guess that’s one way to put it. You could of said it more, like, dramatically, though.” Zero pouted, as if sulking at Sigma.

“But you’re responding to our questions and stuff right now,” Quark said, “That means you’re not just, like, a video someone made. Wouldn’t that mean Zero would have to be controlling you and sending you answers right now? Are you sure Zero’s one of us?”

“Well, yeah, duh!” Zero responded, “Of course I’m sure. I’m an AI. Zero created me. I guess that makes one of you my parent! Now, are you my mommy or my daddy? Ah, ah! That would be telling.” On the screen Zero looked round at the nine people assembled before him. “Mommy! Daddy!” he called with a childlike whine. “Oh, no response. I guess that makes me an orphan.” Mock tears dribbled down the cheek of the projected mouse.

Zero went mercifully silent for half a minute. Everyone looked at everyone else with mistrust, even people who had come out of the same rooms distancing themselves from each other in mutual fear. Phi couldn’t quite imagine the bumbling, embarrassing old man Sigma as master kidnapper Zero, but she’d been swindled by much more innocent-looking acts before, with no intention of falling for Sigma’s, if he was acting. Phi also wasn’t the only one to direct angry glances in the direction of the suit of armour; it contained the most mysterious member of their group. Only two groups of people stayed comfortable with each other following Zero’s announcement. Clover, who obviously knew Alice from before, had leaned wearily against her. But Phi also noticed that Quark had drifted closer and closer to Tenmyouji since the knowledge that one of the others might be Zero had sunk in.

 

Once everyone had been suitably rattled, Zero changed the subject. “It’s my job to make sure the Nonary Game runs smoooothly.”

Quark looked puzzled. “What is the ‘Nonary Game’?”

The armoured man was the first to answer. “Nonary refers to the base-nine number system, but can also mean something that is, in some way related to the number nine. It stands to reason that the ‘Nonary Game’ is a game that deals with the number nine in some way. There are, after all, nine of us.”

From behind her Phi heard Dio grumbling. “He remembered what ‘Nonary’ means but doesn’t even know his own name. Hmph.”

“Exactly,” said Zero, “Nine is a very, very important number in this game. Nine is your goal! You see that door in front of you? That’s your door.” The mouse slid over to the side of the projected area, pointing out the Number Nine Door. “If you can open the door with a nine on it… you can escape! Now you see your bracelets? Of course you do, they’re on your wrists! Wait… we didn’t kidnap anyone blind, did we?”

Zero explained that the number three, as displayed by everyone’s bracelet, was their ‘bracelet points’ and that anyone with nine points could open the door. However, the door would only open once for nine seconds, and anyone without nine points at that time would not be allowed to leave.

Tenmyouji interrupted. “You still haven’t told us what we need to know most. How do we get BP?”

“Oh, that’s easy!” Zero replied, “Just use the Ambidex Room. You like abbreviations; you can always call it the AB room instead.”

“How do we get in? Through those hatches?”

“Ha, ha, ha, ha, no! I had a hutch you might try that, so I closed those up tight while we were chatting. Don’t be hatching any hatch plans, understand?”

Phi winced at Zero’s sudden and mind-rendingly awful descent into puns, though she wasn’t quite sure about the ‘Hutch’ one: did mice have hutches?

Zero continued, “I live in the master computer. All the electronic doors in this whooole warren are under my control.”

“How do we get in, then? Dio asked angrily, “The doors on the front are all locked.”

Zero smirked. “There’s a card reader next to each one, isn’t there? All you’ve got to do is slide a card through and there you go. I think you’ll find what you’re looking through behind the Chromatic Doors.” Zero indicated the magenta, yellow and cyan doors behind them. “Hey, Quirk!”

Quark took a moment to realise Zero was talking to him. “What?” he asked.

“You see those buttons on the sides of your watch? Can you press them at the same time?”

Even as Quark moved to obey, Phi did the same, a discouraged sinking feeling churning her stomach. As she pressed the buttons the screen changed – how had she missed pressing them together when she tested the buttons before? The display changed to a digital clock face, reading ‘00:10’. Just as she started to wonder what it meant, the ten changed to a nine; the clock was a countdown.

“I don’t even need to explain the rest, do I?” Zero remarked.

“I’m guessing this is the time until the Chromatic doors unlock?” Tenmyouji said.

“Ding, ding, ding! Very impressive, Tenmyoldy!” Zero replied sarcastically, “Just like the Number Nine Door, they won’t stay open forever. You have five minutes. Once your time is up, they’ll close no matter what, so I hope you’ve gone through by then! Of course you’ll all have to split up.”

Zero explained how to work out which people went through each door: both members of a pair and a solo had to go through each door, so that either the colour of the solo and the colour of the pair mixed together to get the colour of the door, or both the solo and the pair had the complementary colour to that of the door. Unless a correct group went through each Chromatic Door, secondary doors behind the first set would not open trapping the players inside. Zero talked to each of the nine players, confirming that they knew what they were doing – it would be more accurate to say that Zero was insinuating that they did not know what they were doing – until he reached the masked man.

“Um, who are you?”

The armour took on a pensive demeanour. “I’m uh… I suppose you can call me… K…”

Dio turned on ‘K’ sharply. “I knew it! You were just lying about the amnesia crap!”

“I’m not lying,” K responded calmly, “This was just a… flash of insight, I suppose. I wish I knew what the letter ‘K’ meant. Sadly I have no idea. Does it mean anything to you?”

 

Before anyone could answer K, the Chromatic Doors opened, the smooth hiss announcing the end of the countdown. From the speakers came a neutral, authoritative computerised voice.

“Chromatic Doors have opened. Five minutes remain until Chromatic Doors close.”

“Ohh, so sorry guys, but it looks like you time’s up,” Zero said, “You’d better get to it and get those secondary doors open.”

Before this could sink in, Dio was advancing on the screen gesticulating wildly. “Fuck that!” he roared, “We aren’t gonna open shit! Take your Lame-ary game and shove it up your ass.”

A psychotic smirk appeared on Zero’s face. “I thought you might say that. Of course, if anyone is left outside after they close… they’ll be penalised.”

“What the hell is this ‘penalty’, anyway?” Dio asked.

“Death. Duuuuuuhhhhh!” Zero blew a raspberry at Dio. According to Zero, the bracelets contained needles capable of injecting two drugs: first Soporil Beta – “You should know that the Soporil is only there out of the kindness of the _real_ Zero’s heart. Zero just doesn’t want to see anybunny suffer. Isn’t that just soooo compassionate?  If I had a heart, it’d be melting right now! You’ll die pretty painlessly, so, hey, there’s nothing for you to worry about.” – and then, nine minutes later, the turbocuarine that would freeze the victim’s heart.

“Well then, looks like it’s time for me to hop on out of here,” Zero concluded, “Good luck, guys! Have a nice trap!” With that send-off, the mouse that was Zero’s avatar vanished, the projectors shutting down and retracting into the floor.

 

Phi mulled over the rules of the game. The colourful system by which players entered the doors was, much as she hated to admit it, a logically elegant pattern, which made it easy to figure out the possible combinations of people who could go through the door. She explained them to the others:

 

Option A:  
Phi and Sigma went with Luna through the Magenta door.  
K and Clover went with Alice through the Yellow door.  
Dio and Quark went with Tenmyouji through the Cyan door.

 

Option B:  
Phi and Sigma went with Tenmyouji through the Yellow door.  
K and Clover went with Luna through the Cyan door.  
Dio and Quark went with Alice through the Magenta door.

 

Option C:  
Phi and Sigma went with Alice through the Cyan door.  
K and Clover went with Tenmyouji through the Magenta door.  
Dio and Quark went with Luna through the Yellow door.

 

No sooner had Phi finished explaining than a chaotic argument erupted. It started with Tenmyouji and Dio, as Tenmyouji demanded Option A and Dio refused to let a ‘senile old loser’ come with him and Quark; Dio instead claimed that Option C would be best. This drew in Alice and Clover, who clearly wanted to enter together, on Tenmyouji’s side. Luna, looking nervous and hesitant and directing some queer glances towards Sigma, said some quiet words against too hastily deciding, which Dio, with obvious glee, took to be complete support of his position. K attempted to break up the argument but, unwilling to use the physical advantage his armour provided him, he only managed to increase the racket. Phi looked down at the display on her bracelet. There was only one minute left! Someone had to take charge, and Phi figured it might as well be her.

 

Choice:  
**A)     Go through the Magenta door with Luna.**  
**B)      Go through the Yellow door with Tenmyouji.  
** **C)      Go through the Cyan door with Alice.**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._


	3. Triage

“Tenmyouji, yellow door!” Phi figured that this was the best compromise: by making the choice no-one had argued for, no-one would be angry that she had taken someone else’s side. As soon as she had finished saying it she was in rapid motion; she charged Tenmyouji and dragged him towards her chosen door. Sigma reacted admirably swiftly, and the three of them piled through into the holding area behind the yellow door.

With the choice made for them, the other six players fell into line. Alice hugged Clover then led Dio and Quark over to the Magenta door, while K, Clover and Luna headed in the opposite direction through the cyan door. The yellow door stayed open just long enough for Phi to confirm that everyone had made it inside their respective rooms; as it closed, Phi felt a profound sense of relief.

“Hmph. You could have warned me before you did that.” Tenmyouji said. Phi didn’t respond to that. She had done what needed to be done to save everyone’s lives from their own thoughtlessness.

Sensors whirled around the room, scanning the three people trapped inside. They watched the sensors rise for an agonising amount of time until finally they were bathed in a pale yellow glow and the secondary door opened.

 

They were released into a sterile grey room, divided in the middle by a flimsy plastic divider. On the closer side was a row of neatly made beds. Phi headed to the other side of the divider to get a closer look at the boxy scanning device in the closer corner of the room; a bright label on it declared it to be an ‘ADAM’, though Phi had no clue what that was, and the complex instructions beneath the label did little to clarify matters. The ADAM was attached to a surgical bed which – surprisingly, given that the ADAM appeared to be an expensive state-of-the-art machine – was tattered and shoddily made, with an entire piece of fabric ripped straight out of the bedsheet.

“So this is the… infirmary?” Tenmyouji queried. Phi looked up and saw that he was standing next to a cabinet full of medicine jars, examining them intensely. “No aspirin… Damn: my headache could use some,” he murmured.

“Looks like it,” Phi replied. She looked past where Tenmyouji was standing to see…

“There’s a door in the back!” Sigma had noticed it first and raced over to it. Phi could see the outline of the door around Sigma but couldn’t see any details.

“Think it’ll open?” she asked.

“No way,” Tenmyouji replied immediately, “Just look at it.” He pointed out a mechanism by the door; it read ‘LOCK’ in obstinate digital letters just above a keyhole. Sigma insisted on ramming the door anyway, to no avail. Old and frail as Sigma was, Phi suspected he’d have trouble trying to seek a way out of a wet paper bag.

“Looks like the cards we need for the AB rooms are in here.” Phi said, “Let’s have a look around, okay.”

 

The first thing that came to Phi’s attention was a grid of blocks embedded in the wall between the medicine cabinet and the exit door. It was rather disconcerting that there were three holes in the grid; whatever the grid was used for, it was incomplete.

“Either of you know what to make of this?” she asked.

Tenmyouji shrugged. “No idea,” he replied, “If you don’t mind, I need a rest.” He slumped back onto the middle bed wearily. “You two can solve this. Get me up when you’re done.”

Sigma came over and rattled the frame. “There’s some movement,” he said, “but these two locks are holding it in place. We’ll have to find keys for them.” He pointed at the two lower corners, each of which had a keyhole.

“Let’s search the room, then,” Phi said.

A cursory search of the room found one of the keys on a rickety nurse’s trolley, along with a deceptively sharp scalpel and a rather grimy basin that had presumably once been used for washing, though Phi was fairly sure it would dirty whatever it was used to clean. Sigma found a tiny golden disc, a notebook and a pen on the desk by the ADAM; though the notebook was completely blank Phi was grateful to have something to take notes with – Sigma might have an eidetic memory but she’d much rather trust her own notes than his brain. They reunited in front of the medicine cabinet.

“Not much here,” Sigma said, “Maybe we have to do something with all these medicines.”

“I’d rather not,” Phi replied, “You mess about with unlabelled chemicals and sooner or later the whole room is on fire.” She paused thoughtfully, “I suppose the solution could be to set off the fire alarm so it lets us out.”

“Not very likely,” Tenmyouji said from where he lay, “I think this Zero would be much happier to just watch us burn to death.”

“Scratch that, then,” Phi said, “Still, it’s worth looking at what we can get from these shelves that doesn’t end up with us on fire.”

The cabinet had two drawers, both of which were locked. The second drawer had a combination lock, displaying three of the coloured symbols from the grid, but Phi had no clue how they were meant to guess the code. The medicine cabinet was also standing on top of another cupboard. Phi knelt down and opened up the left side to find a safe that was almost identical to the one in the elevator, down to the same three by three grid for entering the password. However, there was nothing else on that side, so Phi slid the doors across and found a blue memory card attached to a clipboard containing a laminated sheet of paper. Phi studied the instructions on the clipboard, which showed two chemicals, labelled ‘A’ and ‘B’ being mixed in a bowl and used to clean a t-shirt. Phi handed the memory card to Sigma.

“Seen anywhere to put this?” she asked.

Sigma looked at it closely, his artificial eye rotating as if zooming in to reveal more detail. “I think so,” he said. He led Phi back over to the desk and pointed at a screen that had been mounted on the wall above it. Holding the memory card in his right hand, he touched the bottom right corner of the screen, tracing with his fingers a row of arrows that led around the side of the screen. Phi watched him adjust his hand’s position as he felt for something, until at last the memory card slid in. The screen lit up, displaying text on a green background, and Phi was aghast.

“‘A equals white powder’? You could have put that with the rest of the instructions!  ‘B equals water’? You could have just put ‘water’ in the damn picture! This is the stupidest way to write a set of instructions ever!”

“There, there,” Sigma said hesitantly, “It’ll be okay?”

Phi shoved him back. “No it is not okay! These stupid instructions… Zero is mocking us! Mocking me personally!”

“Well, he is now…”

“You like the instructions, you follow them. I’ll go find something to wash.”

 

Sigma grabbed the basin from the trolley and headed to the sink to fill it with water. Once her righteous anger had died down, Phi walked past him to the one area of the room she hadn’t yet searched properly: the beds behind the divider. The first bed was unremarkable, with no items on it to use. But it was as she approached the second bed, the one Tenmyouji was lying on, that she noticed it.

“Hey, Tenmyouji," she called.

Tenmyouji looked up to see her advancing implacably, scalpel in hand, with an intentionally mischievous glint in her eye. “Huh, what… what are you doing?” He shuffled back, nervously.

Phi spun the blade casually in her hand so that the point angled down over Tenmyouji’s head, held it steady for a couple of seconds, then stabbed down… into the bed beside him, ripping away the square of murkily coloured fabric that Tenmyouji had been sitting on. Tenmyouji was still shocked as he watched her examine the material closely. That served him right for not helping.

“Can you pass me that?” Phi asked nonchalantly, pointing at a thin shiny object on the next bed over.

Tenmyouji grunted angrily, but handed her the item she requested. It was a short golden metal stake; as Phi gripped it she felt a small jab in her fingers from a series of ridges running along one side. There was something about it that was eerily familiar, but Phi couldn’t guess the context just by looking at it. However, there was nothing else visible by the beds and the dirty square of fabric from the bed was clearly what she had been looking for. She took it back over to Sigma, who was stirring up a furious froth of bubbles in the cleaning solution. The fabric went into the bowl, the solution hissing as it cleaned the submerged cloth.

 

It was as they were waiting for the fabric to clean that Phi had a moment of inspiration. She took the golden stake from her pocket.

“Hey, Sigma, do you still have that disc you found on the table.”

Sigma handed her the disc. As Phi had expected, it was the exact same shade of gold as the stake. Phi examined the disc carefully and found a hole just large enough to put the stake into; as she did so it snapped into place as if held by a magnet. Together, they formed the second key for the grid of blocks by the door.

Once both keys were in place, the entire grid swung out to the right, revealing the back of the contraption. The three missing blocks – one red, one green and one blue – were in a layer below the main grid, and as Phi held the edges of the frame, the entire device tilted, rotating around the centre and causing the three blocks to slide.

“Looks like we have to get the blocks into these holes, which should drop them into the grid.” Phi pointed them out. “See, they have red, blue and green rims.”

Sigma groaned. “You’d better do it,” he said, “You’re much better at this sort of puzzle than I am.”

“Anyone would be much better at this puzzle than you are, Sigma.”

Though this blocks puzzle was much trickier than the one in the elevator, Phi eventually finished it, gracefully spinning the frame so that all three blocks dropped into their holes simultaneously. She swung the frame back into the recess in the wall where it clicked into place; now the front of each new block was visible in the grid.

All of them bore symbols identical to those already in the grid. No new instructions. No new clues.

 

“Yeah, I dunno what we’re supposed to do here,” Phi muttered.

“Don’t think like that, Phi,” Sigma said, “If we carry on with the rest of the puzzle, maybe we’ll work out what to do with this grid. See, the cloth should be clean by now.” Sigma lifted the square of cloth out of the cleaning basin; the fabric was pristine, revealing a five by five grid formed by blue stitches in the material. Most of the squares were blank, but two contained numbers, a ‘4’ and a ‘5’, while others had symbols reminiscent of those by the exit door.

Now that the dirt had been removed, Phi could see the edges of the fabric square with more definition. The pale colour of the fabric and the ragged edge reminded her of… “The ADAM!” Phi exclaimed.

Sigma and Tenmyouji looked at each other in confusion. “Who’s Adam?” Sigma asked, “Is that what K’s name is…”

“No! Just come and have a look at this,” Phi interrupted. She led Sigma over to the ADAM and helped him lay the fabric over the hole where it had been ripped from the ADAM’s operating bed, pointing out that the edges matched. As Phi pressed the fabric into place and smoothed it out, she felt ridges in the mattress exactly matching the grid. “There’s something under the grid. The ADAM’s some sort of scanning device; I think we can use it to find out what it is,” she explained to Sigma.

“Let’s get to it!” Sigma said. He turned on the screen and picked up the scanning attachment, waving it lazily over the sheet. However, just as he had finished scanning the first row, the screen flashed alarmingly, first displaying the letters ‘QDLIF’, then turning red and displaying the warning message ‘Failed’.

“Seems like the ADAM responds every time you scan five squares, entering five letters,” Phi said, “Question is, which five squares do we pick?”

“Isn’t that obvious?” Tenmyouji had snuck up behind them, “There are only five squares on the fabric that have symbols. Two of the symbols are ‘4’ and ‘5’, so we’ll have to scan them last.”

“What about the other three?” Sigma asked.

“Does it matter? There’s only six different orders you can scan three squares in. Just try them all.” Tenmyouji explained.

“It’s even better than that,” Phi said, “Once we’ve scanned all five squares once, we’ll know the letters. The correct answer will be an anagram. We already know Zero likes anagrams.”

Sigma scanned the fabric again. To Phi’s immense surprise he found the right order on the first attempt; the screen displayed the word ‘CURED’ before revealing the three-by-three safe password on a green background. Phi realised that the green background, just like in the elevator, meant that this password would let them escape. She guessed that the puzzle they’d missed led towards getting the other password – the blue password that would provide information – and, though she was curious, she figured they should at least see what the password – the one they already knew –provided before deliberating about how to find the other one.

 

“Well done!” Phi grinned at Sigma, who looked just as surprised as she did with his one-in-six chance success.

Sigma instantly memorised the password and before long the safe was open.

“There’s a whole bunch of stuff in here,” he said. He handed a blue sheet of paper to Phi. It looked like a map; Phi traced the outline of what looked like the warehouse with her finger and it seemed to match the actual walls of the warehouse, including six boxes that had to represent the AB rooms.

“It says ‘Floor A’,” Tenmyouji said, peering over her shoulder.

Then Sigma took a pair of cards out of the safe. They were shining silver with a logo of a sun and the words ‘Ambidex Room’ printed on them in bold white text.

“You should keep one of these,” Phi said to Tenmyouji, motioning for Sigma to hand him a card. “Sigma and I are a pair so we’ll probably only need one of them.”

“So we can get into the AB rooms, but how are we supposed to get back to the warehouse? That’s where the AB rooms are! Back the way we came, that door’s still locked,” Sigma said.

“I think the answer to that is in the safe,” Phi answered, “See? Read that note.” She pointed to the note that was now at the top of the pile of things in the safe.

Sigma picked it up and read it. “It looks like some more rules for the Nonary Game. It goes, ‘Hare…’” Here Sigma chuckled slightly, though Phi didn’t get what the joke was. “‘… are a few more rules for you! Once you’ve opened a door, you can hop through it as much as you like… But! But but but, you have to escape before you can take advantage of this Free Rein Rule!” Sigma did an unnervingly good impression of Zero’s voice.

“So it’s saying that once we get out of here, we’ll be back able to head back to the warehouse.” Tenmyouji said.

There was another piece of paper under the supplementary rules sheet. It was made of much rougher paper than the others and looked like it had been torn from the front page of a newspaper.

‘Radical-6 Infection Spreads, Cure Continues to Elude Authorities’ the headline read.

“What the hell?!” Sigma gasped.

Phi was shocked as well. She had never heard of this ‘Radical-6’. Was this newspaper a fake, placed by Zero to disturb the players? Or was it… real?

Though Tenmyouji’s reaction was only a faint ‘hmm’, Phi could tell he was as paralysed by the shock as Sigma. All curiosity about the infirmary was banished by desperate need. She had to take control and get them back in motion.

“Right now we need to get out of here as fast as we can,” she instructed. Sigma tried to speak, but Phi roared over him, “Just do what I tell you to do!”

Sigma shrunk away from her where he knelt, and Phi felt a twinge of unsettling guilt. Why had she yelled like that? She knew that such harsh commands rarely influenced anyone to her point of view. Was… was she afraid? As afraid as they were?

Eventually she settled her nerves and controlled her voice back down to a normal tone. “The last thing in the safe is probably the key.”

Putting on a brave face, Sigma took the key and opened the door. They had found the way out, but they’d also found much more besides.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_You may get the impression from this chapter that I am not fond of the Infirmary puzzle. That impression is... entirely accurate._


	4. Nine-ception

Phi, Sigma and Tenmyouji staggered out of the infirmary into a cramped round hub. There was nothing in the room but two doors leading left and right, both of which opened automatically as the three of them shuffled closer. Phi looked at the map, tracing their path from the warehouse through the yellow door to where they were. According to the map, the path to the right led to the rooms behind the cyan door; they would not be able to go that way until the puzzle was solved, and in any case K, Clover and Luna would already have explored anywhere of importance in that direction.

“Let’s go left,” she said.

Phi led them through the left hand door and down a series of dark narrow corridors interspersed with hubs similar to the one they had started at. Eventually they reached the end of the corridor: a door for an elevator with a single button pointing down. Sigma was about to call the elevator when Phi heard footsteps running behind them; they turned around to see the other six people piling into the elevator waiting room.

“Who’d have thought we’d all bump into each other here?” Alice commented.

“Huh. Didn’t you guys get a map?” Phi asked. When they answered affirmatively, she used her own map to show them how all three routes led to the same place.

“Maybe we should sit down here for a bit and exchange information,” Tenmyouji suggested.

“No. There’s plenty of time for that after we check out this elevator,” Phi said.

Following her instruction, as she’d expected, Sigma pressed the button and the doors opened. The nine of them rode the elevator down in nervous silence, awkwardly trying to maintain their personal spaces in the uncomfortably small box. As the doors opened, they spilled out onto the lower floor. They entered into a small room about the same size as the one on the upper floor, with three doors – other than the elevator door – leading in different directions. It was immediately clear that these were Chromatic Doors: they radiated their intense colours – green, blue and red – into the room, and they were accompanied by the same locks as the Chromatic Doors in the warehouse.

Sigma insisted on ramming a door anyway. “Yeah, won’t budge,” he muttered as he rebounded.

Alice was fidgeting with her bracelet. “Looks like my guess was right… the countdown has changed.”

Phi pressed the buttons on the side of her bracelet, confirming Alice’s statement: the display was now counting down from well over two hours.

“Looks like we don’t have a choice, then. We gotta head back,” Tenmyouji said. Phi recalled the supplementary rules they’d found in the infirmary safe. They had said that now all the puzzles were solved all the doors would open for them. She realised that the prominent inclusion of this statement in the rules wasn’t just a hint; they did in fact have to return to the warehouse.

 

They retraced their steps, heading up the elevator and through a room that Dio, Alice and Quark called the lounge.

“You’ll like this place, Grandpa,” Quark said to Tenmyouji. Just as Phi had suspected, Quark and Tenmyouji knew each other before the Nonary Game. She couldn’t blame them for keeping their connection a secret at the start; after all, she’d have done the same thing with any potential weaknesses of hers. “There’s lots of alcohol,” Quark continued, “They’ve even got some of your favourite!”

“Ho! That sounds great. Maybe I’ll go have a drink later,” Tenmyouji replied. Phi agreed with the sentiment; she could use the chance to relax.

Dio apparently didn’t. “How are you so damn calm?” he exclaimed.

Phi left Dio and Tenmyouji arguing behind her as she continued on. She emerged out the magenta door into the warehouse. To her considerable surprise, Alice and Clover were already there, huddled together in the corner and conversing in an agitated whisper. Phi caught one word of it – “Headquarters” – before they noticed her. Clover leapt frantically as she saw Phi, while Alice leaned forward and held Clover tight; she was trying to make it look like a casual hug, but it was clear to Phi that Alice was trying to suppress Clover’s instinctive reaction. What were they trying to hide from her? Phi already knew that Alice and Clover knew each other, but she was now certain that something much deeper and more dangerous was hiding behind their façade.

 

Phi had almost no time to think about it before everyone else entered behind her. Zero appeared on his projected screen in response to their arrival and beckoned them lazily over.

“Yawn,” he stated mockingly, “You’re finally done? I thought I was gonna be waiting here fooooreveeer for you lot to get back. I thought I was gonna just… wither away from the loneliness. Did you ever think about that, huh? Did you ever think about what it’d be like for me?”

Phi sighed with frustration. “Just get on with it, Zero,” she snapped.

“Now, now, Phido,” Zero scolded, “We all know your bark is worse than your bite.” – Phi thought she would easily ignore all of Zero’s barbs, but for some reason this hurt, a twinging wound in her self-image of competence – “So, you all want to know how you get more BP?”

“We go into the AB rooms, right?” Sigma asked. He waved the AB keycard he’d kept from the infirmary.

“Ding ding ding!” Zero responded, “Sigma has been able to remember something I just told him! Well done!”

“But… who goes into which room?” Luna asked.

“That doesn’t really matter. Anybunny can go into any room. You just have to stay in your pairs… those of you who have pairs. The rest of you are stuck by yourselves. Poor you.”

“But what do we do after we go into the room?” Quark asked.

“You play a game.” As Zero said this, a fanfare played through the speakers and animated fireworks exploded behind the mouse on the screen. “The Ambidex game!”

Tenmyouji looked puzzled. “What’s ‘Ambidex’ supposed to mean anyway?”

K spoke up. “I would guess it’s short for ‘ambidextrous’. Most use the word to refer to the ability to use both of one’s hands equally well, instead of favouring the left or the right, but it can also be taken to mean someone who is duplicitous or two-faced.”

“A game of betrayal…” Sigma murmured.

“Well yes, I guess you could put it that way,” Zero replied, “Now, could I have you all move to the AB rooms please? I’ll give you more specifics once everyone’s inside. I’d just hate to let slip any spoilers before the fun’s started.” Before anyone else could ask any questions, Zero’s projectors switched off, leaving the nine players nothing to do but enter the AB rooms as commanded.

 

Sigma and Phi drifted towards the leftmost AB gate as the group separated. Sigma swiped the card through the reader by the side of the doors, as did five of the others, and there was a roaring hiss as six pairs of doors slid open. Phi stepped forwards to enter, but rammed suddenly into Sigma’s back; he was frozen in shock.

An old woman lay motionless on the floor. Sigma leapt down towards her with a frightened yelp, turning her over and feeling desperately for a pulse. Phi realised with revulsion that there was no chance he’d find one; a gruesome wound in the middle of her chest dashed any slim hopes. As Sigma leaned forward Phi got her first clear view of the woman’s pale and anguished face. There was something about it that was eerily familiar.

 

Phi stumbled backwards… _and her mind drifted somewhere else. Confused, she tried to look around, her motions syrupy and slow to respond. Gradually she perceived her location, a cluttered and shady alleyway, the blaring roar of Vegas traffic echoing behind her. Wait! This was the alley she was kidnapped from. Was this a dream, a crazily vivid memory? Phi found herself stepping forward, cautiously following the path she had taken and waiting resignedly for the Soporil Beta to explode around her. As her body walked purposefully forward, Phi tried to recollect the sequence of events, the goals and motives, which had led her into this alleyway, only to find her memory fuzzy and uncooperative; her immediate past seemed lost to the void._

_As she approached the spot where the smoke had knocked her unconscious, she noticed a door from the alley into the building on her left. It seemed like it was intended to be inconspicuous – it was made of plain grimy metal and overshadowed by the scrap that littered the alleyway – but Phi noticed immediately; for some reason the dream – or whatever this place was – highlighted it prominently in her perceptions. Phi remembered that this was the door her unconscious body had been dragged through, when she was kidnapped. As her involuntary motion carried her closer and closer to the door, she tensed up, dreading the moment of the ambush._

_She stepped forward._

_She stepped forward again, sure that it would happen at any moment._

_She closed her eyes tightly and raced through a flurry of panicked steps._

_Nothing happened. Phi opened her eyes to find herself several metres past the point she remembered the smoke being released at; she exhaled with overwhelming relief as the moment passed. Steadying herself with a series of controlled breaths, she started to walk – this time at a normal pace – further down the alleyway._

_Phi had intended to reach the other end of the alleyway and escape, but to her surprise her body veered to the left and approached the concealed metal door. She leaned furtively against the door and retrieved a well-worn lock pick from her pocket. Her body’s demeanour seemed as calm as ever, but inside the dream Phi was alarmed. She did not remember any of this. Her own memories ended in the middle of the alleyway in a choking cloud of Soporil gas, but this dream was trying to exhibit events after that. Bending down, she slid the pick carefully into the lock. With competent and precise movements, she manipulated the inner workings of the lock into position. With a satisfying click, the lock sprung open._

_As the door swung out, Phi’s vision shattered, illusionary cracks multiplying across her view as a vicious sting of pain exploded in her mind. As her vision collapsed entirely, the scene changed and Phi was pitched into total darkness. Phi struggled in place in her new surroundings, her arms suddenly bound behind her back, unable to move at all from the chair she was secured to._

_A cold, calculating voice lanced out of the darkness. “Most would regret crossing us so brazenly. Fortunately for you, you are exactly what we have been looking for.”_

_Phi’s head sunk wearily down to her chin_ and she snapped back to the present.

 

When Phi recovered everyone was standing around Sigma and the old lady, curiously peering at the morbid display. Phi was alarmed to notice that Quark was among them.

“Quark, don’t look,” she cried out, “Tenmyouji! Get Quark out of here!”

Tenmyouji slowly turned to look at her, a despondent blank expression on his face. “Huh… oh yeah…” he mumbled.

“Tenmyouji!” Phi yelled in his ear. She couldn’t help but wonder why Tenmyouji had reacted so much more strongly than anyone else. Anyone else but Phi, that is, unless he had been subjected to an equally insane vision.

Eventually Tenmyouji reacted, leading Quark away from the gruesome scene. With the immediate problem of Quark out of the way, Phi could get closer and try to catch up on what she had missed while she had been… dreaming? Hallucinating? Whatever you’d call the vision she’d just woken from. Sigma was explaining what he’d discovered when he’d inspected the lady’s corpse.

“Her body’s already cold, so I’m guessing she was…” Sigma tried to find a properly respectful way to say his conclusion. “I’m guessing she was murdered a while ago.”

“Murdered?!” Alice exclaimed. She knelt beside Sigma and began her own examination of the body; Phi noticed that Alice conducted her search with an almost-professional efficiency, and within only a few moments she’d stood up again, satisfied that she’d found all the evidence that the body could reveal.

As Alice stood up Phi walked past her and studied the body herself. “It looks like she was stabbed,” she said pensively, “Don’t see the weapon around here though.”

Phi considered how the murder could possibly have happened. The AB rooms had been locked by Zero shortly after all nine of them had escaped into the warehouse and hadn’t opened again until just now. That meant the woman had to have been murdered before the Nonary game began. And as the Nonary game had begun, two people had come out of that room. One, Clover had been unconscious. The other…

“That means either the killer took the weapon with them, or….” Phi glanced suspiciously at K. “… it was part of them. If someone was strong enough, and had metal hands, then they might be able to stab someone with them.”

K stepped back defensively. “What are you suggesting?” he asked.

His electronically modified voice completely concealed any emotion behind the question, but Phi was certain that he understood her implication.

“It’s… just a joke. Don’t take it seriously,” she said. She scolded herself for trying such a feeble evasion, but to her relief K seemed mollified. Phi quickly changed the subject. “Whatever. If we examine the wound we’ll probably get a better idea of what the weapon was.” Suddenly Phi was struck by inspiration. “There’s some sort of scanning device in the infirmary. Maybe it can perform the autopsy.”

 

They carried the old lady to the infirmary and placed her gently on the bed beside the ADAM.

Luna approached the machine with uncharacteristic confidence. “Um… I have a medical licence,” she said, picking up the scanning attachment from the top of the device. “I’m not exactly a coroner, sorry… but I know enough to use this machine. It uses nuclear magnetic resonance imaging to examine and diagnose people. I think I should be able to manage some kind of autopsy.”

Luna waved the scanner steadily over the body until the ADAM responded with a chirping ping. The screen activated and Luna read the results. The old lady had been killed by a single stab wound delivered by a single-bladed knife, fifteen centimetres long and three centimetres across, that had cleanly pierced her heart.

“I suppose that clears me of suspicion,” K commented, presenting his gauntlets to Phi: they clearly weren’t a fifteen centimetre long knife.

However, there was still one piece of evidence that made K the primary suspect. “Sorry, but no,” Phi said, “You’re as capable of holding a normal knife as anyone else. We found the old lady in one of the AB rooms, the one farthest on the left. Only two other people had been in that room: Clover… and you. Only you were conscious.”

K pondered the evidence against him. Phi was relieved he had not immediately resorted to violence. Though it would be eight of them against him, two of them were old men and one was a vulnerable child. In any case, K’s armour was too decisive an advantage, especially in the narrow spaces in the infirmary.

Eventually K responded, “I assure you, there was no one else in that room besides Clover when I woke up. There was a hatch on the ceiling, remember. Zero closed it. The real Zero could have ordered the AI to open them just as easily. The person who brought us here is likely the person who murdered that woman.”

Before K could finish his argument Dio interrupted. “I knew it! You’re him, aren’t you? You’re the real Zero!”

K chuckled. “You aren’t making sense. The real Zero could open any of the AB rooms. Let’s suppose I am Zero. Why would I leave the woman in my own AB room, when that would obviously cast suspicion on me?”

Dio spluttered, “Uh… well… because you figured we’d think that! And you would throw us off the trail by doing the exact opposite.”

“That is not a logical argument. Also, consider this: if the murderer isn’t Zero, why would the AI stay silent? He told us his job was to make the game run smoothly. Now the unexpected has happened, and he says nothing. He must know who killed the old woman. The answer is simple. The murderer is Zero… Zero senior, I suppose, to distinguish them from the AI. This murder was not unexpected; it was just as Zero senior planned. This death is only another part of the Nonary game.”

Phi considered K’s defence. Though she was still wary of him, his theory was very promising. If they could figure out Zero Sr.’s goals and intentions they would be able to derail the Nonary game from Zero’s heinous plan.

However, before Phi could come to any conclusions, a recorded announcement sounded. “Ambidex game polling will close in ten minutes.”

“We’d better get back,” Phi said to the others, “Or we’ll lose our opportunity to get more bracelet points.”

 

They went back to the warehouse in hurried silence. Once again they split up to their respective AB rooms. Phi and Sigma headed back to the left-most one. Sigma tapped the screen, and the doors closed behind them.

“I kinda don’t want to be in here,” Sigma muttered, shivering, “I mean, there was a dead lady in there just a few minutes ago.”

Phi frowned at him. “What, are you worried there’s a ghost or something?”

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

“Heh, I don’t believe in ghosts.”

Sigma turned away from her. “Damn. You’re pretty cold, aren’t you?”

“I just don’t let my emotions get in the way. That feeling won’t bring the lady back to life, and it won’t help anyone else get out of here. If we fail because you hesitate, because you can’t do what needs to be done, then…” Phi trailed off. She didn’t think she’d be able to persuade Sigma. It was too comforting to think of being ‘less cold’ as moral superiority, too uncomfortable to recognise each and every missed opportunity as a personal failing.

Before she could try, however, Zero appeared on the elevator panel with his usual aggravating giggle.

“Hee hee hee! You’re finally all in! I thought you’d gotten lost. I mean, this place is a warren, so I can’t blame you… who are we kidding, I do blame you idiots.”

“We’ve got some questions for you, Zero!” Sigma roared at the screen.

Before Sigma could continue, Zero’s mouse avatar winced theatrically. “Will all of you stop bombarding me with questions? The other people in the other rooms are asking me stuff just like you are. Especially B.O.” – Phi couldn’t hear Dio, suggesting that the AB rooms were soundproofed, but she could imagine the indignant fury the impatient man would have worked himself into – “B.O. is especially loud. For real, B.O., shut up."

“Now, let me tail you about the AB game. You’re obviously going to have an opponent. You’ll be competing against whoever you went through the chromatic doors with. I want everybunny to focus on the screen at the back of the room. You should see ‘Ally’ and ‘Betray’ on it. All you have to do is pick one of those easy hoptions. Your BP will go up or down depending on what you and your hopponent do.”

Zero explained the consequences of each option. Phi recognised the situation immediately. This was a Prisoner’s Dilemma. Suddenly the true fiendishness of the Nonary game was clarified. No longer was it the nine of them against Zero; instead, they were competing for the one chance to leave through the Number Nine door. Each of them would fear that someone else would collect points more quickly than them and open the door before they could get nine points; that would provide the temptation to press betray themselves, and the inexorable logic of the prisoner’s dilemma took hold. Much as Phi could enthusiastically declare her aspiration to get as many people out as possible, it would be much harder to actually press ‘Ally’.

“I think that about does it for the basic rules. Weeell, actually there’s a little bit more, but it’ll just have to wait. It’s almost time!” Zero concluded.

“Wait!” Sigma called after him as Zero’s avatar started to fade.

“No. I won’t wait and I can’t wait. Didn’t you hear me? It is time.”

To emphasise Zero’s statement, another announcement played. “One minute remains until Ambidex Game polling closes.”

Before Sigma or Phi could react, the mouse on the screen had vanished.

 

Phi felt the final minute of the Ambidex game racing past. “We don’t have time to talk about this,” she said, “Rock, Paper, Scissors.”

Sigma turned towards her, one hand concealed behind his back. Phi did the same, stretching her hand into the gesture for ‘Scissors’ and began the countdown.

“Three, two, one…”

Both hands shot out. For a moment her vision blurred, as if her eyes had teared over, but she blinked a couple of times and saw the result.

Sigma had chosen paper.

“I guess it’s your choice, then,” he said, conceding gracefully and moving to the left so Phi had a clear path to the terminal.

Phi approached the screen and its two buttons. In the last ten seconds, she tried to guess what Tenmyouji would choose. It all came down to his relationship with Quark. Would Tenmyouji be more likely to pick ‘Ally’, as an example to the boy? Or would he be even more desperate to escape than anyone else, and so even more susceptible to the temptation to betray? With only one second to go, Phi made her choice.

 

 **Choice:**  
**A)** **Ally  
****B)** **Betray**

* * *

 

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._


	5. Qui Tacet Consentire

Phi’s finger stabbed down onto the terminal screen… onto ‘Betray’. It was the only sensible choice. There was no way she could trust Tenmyouji to vote ally.

“Round one of the Ambidex Game has been completed,” said the announcement voice, “Results will be displayed in the warehouse.”

Phi trudged out of the AB room as a wave of – was this… guilt? – swelled inside of her. If Tenmyouji had chosen ‘Ally’… Phi’s body started to shake. She couldn’t bear to show such weakness in front of Sigma, but her body wouldn’t stop.

Sigma came up behind her. “I was angry when you voted ‘Betray’,” he said, “But now, I… just know… that Tenmyouji betrayed too. I think you made the right choice.”

Phi wondered how Sigma was so certain. He couldn’t have felt that way back in the AB room, else he would have voted himself without waiting to discuss it with Phi. Perhaps he was just trying to be kind, but there was a spark of confidence in his eyes – even his artificial eye – that suggested otherwise. Maybe next time, she would lose the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors intentionally, just to evade the stress and guilt of voting.

Before she could calm herself, however, Zero called to them. “Wasssuuuuup! Siggy, Phido! We’re about to announce the results!”

Everyone else was already standing around Zero, and Sigma and Phi rushed over to join them. This was the moment where they would find out if her decision was correct, or if her terror was justified.

With a fanfare, Zero began. “Ambidex Gaaame! Round One!” Giving a mocking bow, his avatar vanished from the screen to be replaced by an orderly table of results:

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

K                                     3                           Betray                         +3                           6  
Clover                             3                                                              +3                           6

Luna                               3                            Ally                             -2                           1

 

Dio                                 3                            Betray                         +3                           6  
Quark                             3                                                              +3                           6

Alice                               3                            Ally                             -2                           1

 

Sigma                             3                            Betray                         +3                           6  
Phi                                  3                                                              +3                           6

Tenmyouji                      3                            Ally                              -2                           1

 

There was an uproar as everyone comprehended the results. Three people were now hovering precariously on one bracelet point, a complete sweep of successful betrayals.

Phi expected Tenmyouji to confront them, but he barely reacted even once he’d read the results. “I got… betrayed?” he muttered softly.

Somewhere behind her, Sigma whispered, “He chose ‘Ally’? Why…? He chose ‘Betray’ last time…” Phi had no idea what he was on about. His certainty that Tenmyouji had voted ‘Betray’ had been conclusively proven wrong, but Phi couldn’t imagine what Sigma meant by ‘last time’.

From the confused expression on his face, neither could Tenmyouji. “Huh? ‘Last time’? What are you talking about? You two are the ones who chose ‘Betray’. I should be asking you why?”

Phi decided to come clean. It was only moments before Sigma blamed her anyway, so she might as well appear honest. “I pressed the button. I was sure you were going to vote ‘Betray’.

Tenmyouji snorted. “I can’t believe you. I’d never choose ‘Betray’. I trusted you two. And this is what I got.”

“I apologise,” Phi said.

“Not good enough,” Tenmyouji snapped, “I’m never trusting either of you again. This isn’t over. Just you wait.” Saying that, he marched forcefully away from them.

Phi turned to focus on the two very similar arguments that were happening among the other trios.

“Hey!” Alice shouted at Quark and Dio, “What the hell is this?!”

Dio started stuttering, “Hey, look lady, I-I was gonna choose ‘Ally’, I swear to God. But just as I’m about to do it, this little bastard gets in first and presses ‘Betray’.”

“What?” Quark asked incredulously. He pointed his finger accusingly at Dio, staring furiously, and was about to give his own side of the story when Dio talked over him rudely.

“Come on. Really just gonna try and play it dumb, huh? You’re a manipulative little twerp, aren’t you?”

It wasn’t very convincing. Everyone could tell that Dio was only describing himself.

Even Alice could tell. She pushed Dio to one side to give Quark room to explain the truth, asking, “Quark, is he telling the truth?”

“No!” Quark shouted, “I didn’t do anything! I didn’t have a chance to do anything before Mr. Dio pressed the button! How could you do that, Mr Dio?”

Alice nodded, then turned to Dio. “Just you wait, Dio,” she said. Though Alice had clearly pinpointed Dio as the cause of her drop in BP, she didn’t press the matter any further, instead walking over to where K and Clover were justifying themselves to Luna. K and Clover were at least presenting a united front to Luna.

“We aren’t trying to blame you…” K started.

“But, I mean, if you just think about it, wouldn’t it just make more sense to choose ‘Betray’?” Clover concluded.

Luna stood in stunned silence for almost half a minute. “Forget it. I understand now. It was silly to trust you guys.”

 

With all three arguments concluded, there was nothing to do but carry on with the Nonary Game.

Alice turned to the screen, where Zero’s rodent-like avatar was waiting for them smugly, and checked her bracelet. “Zero, our bracelets say the next round starts in an hour. How do we get through the next set of doors downstairs?”

Zero giggled. “Maybe you don’t get through those doors. Maybe you have to stay up here, forever, with meeeeee! Won’t that be fun?”

Alice answered confidently, “You called this ‘Round One’. Where there’s a round one, there’s a round two.”

K interjected, “Besides, didn’t you say the goal of the AB Game was to get nine BP? That’s impossible without a second round.”

Zero pouted, his elaborate hat drooping to one side. “You lot are no fun. Yes, there’s a second round. There!” Suddenly Zero perked up. “Yes, you get to vote again, loads more juicy betrayals! Just as soon as you get the AB gates open again.

Clover made a quizzical little squeak. “But… they’re already open!”

Zero mimed slamming his head into his hand. “Whoopsie! Lemme just clooooose them!” On Zero’s cue six pairs of doors whirred closed.

Once all the doors were fully closed an announcement played through the speakers. “Round two of the Ambidex Game will be the Moon round. Moon keys will be required to open the gates.”

“So those Sun keys you have are just compleeeeetely useless now,” Zero concluded, “Weeeell, I guess you could throw them at each other, or use them to pick your teeth, but other than that they’re useless.”

“So, how many times do we play the AB game?” Dio asked.

Zero shrugged. “Dunno? As many times as you need to? I plan on keeping this party going until somebunny opens the Number Nine door. It could be next round! Or you could get stuck below 9 BP, where everybunny just keeps going back and forth, back and forth, winning and losing points… After all, if no one has nine BP the door can’t open… Round three, Round four, Round five… Round 100, Round 2000… you might even go all the way to Round 17,179,869,183: things get really weird if I get that high. I really, really hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Sigma, a curious look on his face, asked Zero a question. “There’s rules about who can go through the Chromatic doors, right? Like, you have to have three people exactly. Are there similar rules for the Number Nine door?”

“Nope! There aren’t any rules about how many people can go through that door. It could be one person, or two people, or even all nine of you.” Zero frowned. “Just one thing, though, Siggy… All that stuff about how you have to have three people to go through the secondary Chromatic doors. Maybe it’s not… 100% true. You just need to have the correct three bracelets. As long as the scanners see the right combination of bracelets… the people don’t matter.”

“So you’re saying these things can come off?” Sigma said.

“Tell me how I take it off!” Quark shouted, pulling at his wrist.

“Well, there’s two ways,” Zero explained, “First is to escape through the Number Nine door. Soon as you do, you’re free to go, none of my business, no more turbocuarine hanging over you. Second… well the second’s far more enjoyable.”

“What’s the second way, Zero?!” Dio yelled, “Tell us already!”

Zero chuckled deeply. “Oh, B.O. I think you already know. Do you really want to get rid of that bracelet? It’s easy. Nothing to it.

“You die.

“Now if we’re lucky, we might see a few of them come off during the next round!” Zero giggled at his thinly veiled threat. “If I had to guess, it’s gonna be Moony or Alas or Tenmyouldy…” – Zero grinned maniacally at the three people who had been betrayed in the first round – “or even all of them.”

Zero then explained that anyone whose BP dropped to zero would be punished just as harshly as if they’d broken the rules.

Alice scolded Zero passionately. “What the hell! This is important stuff! Why didn’t you tell us earlier? You were supposed to tell us the rules, not hide them! Is there anything else you’ve conveniently left out?! It’s not fair to make us play the game without explaining all the rules!” This didn’t accomplish anything. Zero was an AI, and a malicious one at that, and was unlikely to be swayed by anything they could say.

 

Instead, Zero carried on with his spiel. “The next set of Chromatic Doors you’ll be going through are downstairs,” Zero continued to explain, “You already saw them, right? There should have been three: red, blue and green. That means to get through, you’ll need bracelets in cyan, magenta and yellow. But wait! You already have those bracelets!”

Phi looked down at her wrist automatically. Her bracelet had been updated with her new score – ‘6’ – and as Zero had implied the colour of the text had changed: it was now cyan.

Sigma muttered, “Hmm, mine changed from red to magenta.” That was a surprise. Phi had expected the pairs to stay the same.

As it was, not only did the pairs not stay the same, but whether someone was a pair or solo changed as well: Phi’s new partner was Luna. Phi wasn’t sure what to make of that. Sure, Luna was a pleasant person to be around, but she still seemed to be the type who would only ever vote to ally – even K’s and Clover’s blunt explanation of their betrayal hadn’t disabused her – and while she hadn't mentioned anything she had glanced down disapprovingly as Phi met her eyes. Phi expected that this could cause some unpleasant friction next time they were in the AB room. However, instead of worrying about it, Phi turned to the immediate concern, which was finding out how everyone’s bracelets had changed:

Sigma’s new partner was Clover; they were the magenta pair.  
Alice and K were the yellow pair.  
Tenmyouji was the cyan solo.  
Quark was the magenta solo.  
Finally Dio was the yellow solo.

“When did they change?” Quark asked Zero.

“Back when the AB gates closed. As soon as the gates close, your colours get all shuffled up automatically. The pair and solo assignments hop around too,” Zero explained, jumping around the screen to illustrate his statement.

“Now, with all that explained… I must bid you adieu. Sadly…” – Zero’s lip trembled – “we may never meet again. There’s not really anything for me to facilitate anymore. I’ll never see you guys…again!”

There was awkward silence.

Suddenly Zero burst out laughing. “Did you really think I was gonna cry! I hate you losers. Anyway gooood luck. I may be gone, but I’m always watching. Have a nice tragedy!” With that, the mouse disappeared from the screen, never to be seen again.

Good riddance.

 

Quark was the first to speak. “So… what happens now? We’ve still got a while till the Chromatic Doors open.” In fact, they had three quarters of an hour.

Alice took charge. “We should go and see if we can find any other exits,” she commanded, “Maybe there’s a vent or a disposal chute or something. I for one wouldn’t mind examining the other rooms.”

“Let’s split up,” Phi suggested. She estimated how much time they would need to get down to the Chromatic Doors. “Let’s meet in front of the Chromatic Doors five minutes before they open.”

 

The group split up. Phi decided to head back to the infirmary. She would have time later to visit the other rooms; for now, the search would be more efficient if there was someone in each room who had searched there before, who could guide the others. She arrived to find Alice leaning over the body of the old lady. She must have rushed here in advance of the others, hoping to get some time to examine it alone.

“So, you find anything else?” Phi announced her presence. She smirked as she saw Alice tense up; as she had expected, Alice hadn’t wanted anyone to see what she was doing.

“Nothing,” Alice said tersely.

Phi peered past Alice at where the body still lay next to the ADAM. “So you didn’t notice that she was killed without a struggle, probably by someone who ambushed her from behind? And you didn’t…” Phi lifted up the woman’s left arm carefully and presented it to Alice. The blood splatter there was interrupted by a uniform band of clean skin. “… notice this mark on her left wrist either?” A sudden spark in Alice’s eyes confirmed Phi’s hypothesis: Alice had noticed both of those things but, for whatever reason, she was trying to conceal what she had found.

“Well, fine. I did notice that,” Alice stated levelly, “But you didn’t notice that her body was moved into the AB room from where she was killed. Unless you actually though you could stab someone in the heart without their blood going all over the walls?”

Phi allowed Alice her small victory. She had missed that. Still, she had discovered something very interesting. Alice was far more competent, even highly trained, than she was letting on. Phi was almost certain that whatever Alice was hiding, it had something to do with the conversation with Clover that Phi had heard just the end of. ‘Headquarters’. That was what she had overheard Alice saying to Clover. Phi stepped even closer, resolving to interrogate Alice about the identity of her mysterious organisation.

“Hmph! You’re not gonna give her even the slightest bit of privacy, are you?!”

Now it was Phi’s turn to jump. She spun around frantically to see Tenmyouji advancing from the direction of the yellow door, Quark tagging along behind him. Sternly, Tenmyouji instructed Alice and Phi to move the body over to one of the other beds, on the far side of the plastic divider that split the room in two. Once they had done so, Tenmyouji turned his focus to the divider; it was far too large for the frail old man to move, but he tried anyway, and succeeded in moving it just enough to shelter the old lady from the gaze of anyone coming through the door. Once he had finished he turned back to the others.

“So, did you find anything in here? Or were you just planning on disrespecting her all day?” he asked angrily.

“You don’t think working out who killed her is important?” Alice said.

“Hmph.” Tenmyouji refused to respond to that; instead he stared, unmoving, straight at the screen, as if he could still see the body on the other side.

“Hey, Miss Phi, Miss Alice,” Quark said politely, though without much of the cheer that had characterised his voice earlier, “Can I help search, too?”

Phi grinned at him. “Sure!”

“Well, okay,” Alice said. “There’s a lot of things we need to look under. You should look under those for us. I won’t. Sure, I have a perfectly lither and supple body, but there’s no way I’m ruining my knees by crawling around on them down there.”

Phi, Alice and Quark searched the infirmary thoroughly, taking care not to disturb Tenmyouji from his sullen vigil beside the lady’s body. After several minutes with nothing to show for it, Quark gave up. He approached Alice, a concerned look on his face.

“Miss Alice…” he started hesitantly, “You did believe me, right? You didn’t believe what Mr. Dio said about me?”

Alice stared past him coldly. “I don’t really care what happened in there. All that matters is that I’m on one BP now, and I have to think about getting more in the next round.”

Quark turned his eyes down dejectedly and wandered away to the other side of the privacy curtain.

 

Alice strolled away towards the exit door. As she left, Phi realised that this was the perfect moment to confront Alice about what she was hiding. However, as Phi turned to follow Alice, she was startled by a sudden shout from Tenmyouji.

“You’re not going anywhere!” he commanded. Phi froze in place at the tone of his voice; when she recovered Alice had vanished. There was nothing better to do than see what Tenmyouji wanted.

“I am sorry… you know, about earlier…” she said hesitantly.

“I… can’t care about that anymore. I need to think about the next round. You’re the smartass who’s working out which doors we can go through. What are our options?”

“Well, you’ve got a choice between me and Luna, Sigma and Clover, and Alice and K. Which…”

“No!” Tenmyouji snapped, “Not just that. I need to know what it means for Quark.”

Phi quickly worked out what he was asking for. “If you come with me, Quark goes with Sigma and Clover. If you go with Sigma and Clover then Quark goes with Alice and K. Finally, if you go with Alice and K, Quark comes with me and Luna.”

Tenmyouji groaned. “That’s a tough decision…”

Phi nodded at him sympathetically. “Yeah. It is, isn’t it?”

Tenmyouji shoved her backwards. “Damn you! You’re half the reason it’s difficult. You betrayed me. You don’t get to talk about it.”

Phi recovered herself, this time at a safer distance. She searched frantically for a change of subject. “So… where do you know… her... from?” Phi pointed obliquely at where the old lady’s corpse lay behind the curtain.

“What’s it to you? Who says I do know her?”

“It’s really obvious,” Phi replied, “Did you even see how you reacted when we found her?”

“Hmph. Fine. I knew her,” Tenmyouji grumbled, “Her name’s Akane Kurashiki. I can’t tell you any more than that, though.”

“Why not? Anything we know about her could help us find out why she’s here and who killed her…”

“Zero killed her. And I can’t tell you anything else because Zero threatened to kill Quark if I did.”

“Wait!” Phi said excitedly, “You mean you’ve talked to Zero separately to the rest of us! What were they like? Did you get any clues about their identity? Do you know what Zero’s goal is? Why…”

“Stop!” Tenmyouji roared, “Are you trying to get Quark killed?! Did you even hear what I said? I can’t tell you.”

“I don’t believe you. For all I know, you’re Zero, and this ‘they’ll kill Quark’ thing is just an excuse to keep secrets from us.”

“Hmph! First you betray me, then you start accusing me of stuff like that. If you’re gonna act like that, you should just leave.” Tenmyouji turned away from her with disgust in his eyes. The conversation was over.

 

Phi fled the infirmary with a bitter taste in her mouth. Her best chance of finding out more information about Zero was gone because Tenmyouji wouldn’t cooperate. As all her hopes of subverting the Nonary Game decayed in her mind and spiralled away from her, they were replaced by a pure and fierce blinding headache; Phi stumbled into the opposite wall cradling her head in her hands. She rammed her head against the metal surface and waited for the agony to go away.

When the pain finally subsided, Phi looked up to find Luna standing next to her. She had no idea how Luna had got there.

“Oh! Are you alright, Phi?” Luna said to her, her voice echoing in Phi’s ears, as she supported Phi with her arms.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Phi said, trying to keep her voice under control, as she brushed Luna’s hands aside. She stretched out her back, trying to stand up straight even against the residual aches.

Phi decided to make the best of Luna seeing her in pain as they strolled towards the lounge. After all, Luna was her partner for the next round; they may as well discuss their strategy and choice of solo. “So, the three solos are Tenmyouji, Quark, and Dio,” she said, “What do you think of them? Which one should we try to partner up with next round?”

Luna turned to her serenely. “Phi, I think you should make whatever choice you think is right.”

“Really? No opinions whatsoever?” Phi asked sarcastically.

Luna struggled to reply. “I… think you should make whatever choice you think is right,” she repeated herself.

 

Before Phi could ask her what she meant by that, they reached the lounge. The door slid up to reveal Sigma, Dio and K leaning against the bar and chatting. Phi glanced past them at the rack of bottles. She hadn’t been able to get a good look at them earlier, but after the stress of the first AB round, the bar was starting to look very inviting.

“Oh, hello Sigma. Did any of you find anything?” Luna called to the three of them.

By the way the three men were standing around, Phi thought it was very unlikely they had. “You were actually looking, right? Hey. Answer me.”

Sigma looked sheepish. “Oh, uh, well, I mean, we weren’t wasting time… I was just asking them what they found.”

Phi raised her eyebrow suggestively.

“… which was nothing,” Sigma finished.

Before Phi could tell Sigma off, K started speaking. “Phi, Sigma, you were two of the people searching the infirmary, weren’t you? Ah, was there anything interesting in there?”

Sigma responded, pulling the newspaper article they had found in the infirmary safe out of his pocket. In the excitement and terror of the past hour, it had slipped Phi’s mind, but its macabre report soon returned to her memory. “Oh, yeah. I almost forgot,” Sigma said, holding out the paper in the direction of K, Luna and Dio, “It’d take too long to explain. Just have a look at this.”

Luna took the paper and read the article out loud; with each despairing word everyone’s expressions sunk. Even K, whose face was hidden behind his armour, seemed paralysed.

“Is there a chance… I mean, I certainly hope it isn’t the case, but… Could it be that this facility is, in fact, one of the quarantine locations that clipping mentions?”

It didn’t seem very likely to Phi. There weren’t enough of them, for one. More importantly, Alice – Phi was increasingly convinced – seemed like some sort of government agent and was as confused as the rest of them: either she had been pretending perfectly from the moment they met, or Alice – and, by extension, the government – weren’t involved. Finally…

“Then… you’re saying we’re all infected with this Radical-6 virus?” Luna asked shyly.

“I dunno,” Sigma replied, “It doesn’t really fit. I mean, none of us have any kind of symptoms, right?”

Phi wasn’t sure that was quite right. She still had no idea what had caused the headache that had gripped her earlier. She hoped it wasn’t because of some sort of super-virus and she was tempted to not mention it at all, but after excoriating Tenmyouji for hiding things from her, she could hardly do the same here. “Well, I do feel a little strange. I’ve lost my balance a few times.” There. That was a way to say what happened that didn’t portray her in too bad a light.

None of the others seemed to believe her symptoms were those of a world-destroying disease. “That’s probably just because you were asleep for so long,” Luna explained.

K seemed heartened that his grim hypothesis had been dismissed by the others. “Are you suggesting our incarceration here has nothing to do with this article?”

Finally Dio chimed in from where he had been standing quietly in the corner, “Yeah. It just doesn’t add up. The order’s backwards. Maybe if we’d been thrown in here after this virus started spreading… But right now it looks like we were abducted before this thing turned into a pandemic.” He gestured extravagantly. “How’s that make any kind of sense? Besides… you found the article in the safe, right? That means Zero Sr. put it there specifically so we could find it and read it. So that we’d think that this place is a quarantine facility. So that we’d think what Zero wants us to think. This thing is just a… a prop. Something to set the scene. Zero’s trying to freak us out. That article is a fake.” Dio snatched the article out of Luna’s hand and turned it over, presenting the back to the group. It was matte black. “See? There you go. Why would a newspaper just be black on one side?”

“Well, perhaps there was an advertisement there,” K suggested half-heartedly, “Some sort of full page ad, with a black background.”

Sigma immediately overruled him, “No… I’d bet you money an article like this was front page news. It’s too big of a story. And I really don’t think they put full-page ads on the back of the front page.”

They had arrived at a consensus. The facility they were in was not a quarantine zone. However, before anything else could be said, Tenmyouji burst into the lounge with stark terror in his eyes.

“Luna!” he shouted desperately, “Thank God! You’re a doctor, right? You have to come with me! Quark… Something’s wrong with him!”

 

All six of them raced towards the infirmary, where they met Clover and Alice. Quark was lying motionless on the bed next to the ADAM. Luna waved Tenmyouji away from Quark as they entered the room, in order to give herself room to work, before once again picking up the scanner of the ADAM. Once she was done diagnosing Quark she stared at the screen, turning deathly pale as she read the results.

“I… I know what’s wrong with him. I feel so terrible saying this, but… Quark has an infection. A viral infection. Radical-6.”

So the newspaper had been telling the truth. There was no way to get around it. Even if the ADAM was also lying, it was too much to believe that Quark had coincidently succumbed to another debilitating disease.

Tenmyouji sunk to his knees beside the bed. “Quark can’t be… There must be something we can do! How can we cure him?!”

Luna read the results of the ADAM once more, double-checking everything it said. “The ADAM says that there’s an anti-viral serum called Axelavir. It’s the only way to counteract Radical-6. If we can inject him with some, he should… he should be okay.” Unfortunately, there was no such ‘Axelavir’ to be found in the infirmary, either during the original search, or after.

Tenmyouji turned away from the bed and stumbled into the centre of the room. “Then Quark’s… he’s going to… Oh God no…”

“Quark!” Alice shouted, pointing at the space that Tenmyouji had just vacated. Quark was standing stiffly beside the bed, a weary and vacant expression marring his once cheerful face.

“Get away from me!” Before anyone could react, Quark yelled inhumanly. His hands swept up purposefully, and Phi suddenly saw that Quark clenched a scalpel between them, the blade aimed directly towards his own chest. “I’m sorry Grandpa,” he muttered, “I have… have to… I have to escape. Like this!”

Quark drove the scalpel in towards himself. Phi didn’t react in time; she was frozen by shock. Sigma was not. He leapt across the intervening space and grabbed Quark’s hand at the last moment, throwing them both across the bed. Quark struggled, his entire body shaking furiously under Sigma’s grasp, but though Sigma was old, he held on tight.

It took the others a moment to realise what exactly had happened, but before long Phi, K and Dio were also restraining Quark, and with the pressure relieved from Sigma he was able to force the scalpel all the way away from Quark, Clover knocking it safely out of his hand. Quark’s shouts were getting increasingly shrill and frantic, and it was clear that Quark would not calm down. There were only two possible ways this would end before the Chromatic Doors opened. One was not tolerable. The other…

“Luna! Are there any tranquilisers in here?” Phi asked, “Hit him with some!”

Luna arrived next to her wielding an injection gun. After an intense effort to immobilise Quark’s leg, Luna struck, injecting the contents of the gun into a vein. After a few agonising seconds Quark relaxed; he soon fell mercifully unconscious.

Luna checked that Quark was okay using the ADAM, then turned to the others. “He was so strong. I think that might be the virus’s fault. It probably attacks the part of the brain that governs reason. Without anything to hold it back, his body was using every ounce of strength he had.”

“So when Quark tried to kill himself, was that because of Radical-6 too?” Clover asked.

Luna agreed that it probably was. She asked the others if they had heard anything about Radical-6. One by one, they explained that they knew only that which had been explained by the newspaper article Sigma had found, until…

“I have heard rumours about a virus being used as a new sort of bioweapon,” Alice volunteered. Suddenly, everyone was asking her questions, but she waved them aside dismissively. “As much as I would love to explain more, I’m sorry. Time’s up.” She was right. According to the bracelets, only five minutes remained before the Chromatic doors opened.

 

They rushed to the elevator and rode it down, Tenmyouji carrying Quark in a fireman’s lift; he had refused to let anyone touch the boy. As the elevator doors let them out and they spread out into the room, the three Chromatic Doors slid open invitingly.

“Chromatic Doors have opened. Five minutes remain until Chromatic Doors close.”

Phi immediately took charge. She had been mulling over the new set of colours in her head and, once again, had calculated the only three possible options:

 

Option A:  
Phi and Luna went with Dio through the Green door.  
Sigma and Clover went with Tenmyouji through the Blue door.  
Alice and K went with Quark through the Red door.

Option B:  
Phi and Luna went with Quark through the Blue door.  
Sigma and Clover went with Dio through the Red door.  
Alice and K went with Tenmyouji through the Green door.

Option C:  
Phi and Luna went with Tenmyouji through the Red door.  
Sigma and Clover went with Quark through the Green door.  
Alice and K went with Dio through the Blue door.

 

Before Phi could even take another breath after explaining, Tenmyouji voiced his opinion. “The way he is right now, someone’s going to have to carry Quark. I just can’t afford to give him to someone I don’t trust.”

“Quark is a solo, as are you, Tenmyouji,” K stated, “Solos can’t enter with one another. You do remember that?”

“I didn’t say there wasn’t anyone I trusted. There’s one person… Clover. I can’t tell you why I trust you, but I just know you’ll keep Quark safe.”

Clover gasped with shock. “Really?! That’s great… Wait. My partner is Sigma. Are you sure you want me to take him?”

Phi remembered her conversation with Tenmyouji earlier. He must have realised… “Tenmyouji, that’s option C. That would mean you’d come through the red door with me. Are you really…”

Tenmyouji interrupted her, “That doesn’t matter now. I have to keep Quark safe.”

Phi accepted his response. “Okay, option C it is.”

“No.” Just as Phi thought people were agreeing with option C, Alice contradicted it. “That means I’ll be stuck with Dio. There’s no way in hell I’m going to let that that happen.”

Dio snorted derisively. “Who do you want to go with, then?”

Alice smiled. “Isn’t it obvious? Quark.”

The moment the name had left her lips Tenmyouji yelled with anguish. “No! This is exactly why I can’t trust any of you!”

As Tenmyouji said that, another announcement reminded them of the time ticking down. “One minute remains until Chromatic Doors close.”

This was bad. If they couldn’t agree in that last minute, they would all die. Looking at Tenmyouji’s tormented expression, there was only one option Phi could, in good conscience, support. Option C. The question was how to enforce that option on everyone else without the slightest possibility of further dissension.

“We don’t have time to argue this. Let’s take a vote. Those opposed to C?” Phi said loudly.

Perfect. A classic ‘qui tacet consentire’. This way, anyone who was the slightest bit indecisive would stay silent. As Phi had expected, only Alice and Dio voted against.

“I assume anyone who didn’t raise their hand is all right with option C, then?” Phi concluded.

With the choice settled, Phi watched as grateful relief spread across Tenmyouji’s face. Phi didn’t know why Tenmyouji trusted Clover, but she could clearly see that he believed Quark was as safe as he could possibly be.

After betraying Tenmyouji, that was the best she could do.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._


	6. Dinner is in the Cat

Phi, Luna and Tenmyouji piled into the space behind the red door, moments before it closed behind them. That had been brutally close; Phi and Luna had had to pull Tenmyouji, who was fixated on Sigma and Clover carrying Quark through the green door, to make sure he followed them in time. Phi could only hope that the other trios had made it.

Once they had recovered Tenmyouji spoke. “Thank you, but don’t think that makes us even or anything, Phi.” Some small measure of gratitude managed to seek a way out of Tenmyouji’s lips.

Before Phi could reply, the secondary doors opened, allowing them into a short corridor. Phi strolled along it, soon reaching the point where the corridor bent to the left. On the corner was a dull steel door, but it didn’t open at their approach and there seemed to be no mechanism available for opening. Phi led the other two around to the left, until they finally arrived at a circular room. There were three doors on different walls. All of them were locked. The only other thing in the room was a lever, reminiscent of the lever that would open the number nine door.

“Well, let’s get on with it,” Tenmyouji instructed, “Pull that lever.”

“Hmmm… I’d like to examine it first,” Phi responded, kneeling next to the lever, “It’s possible Zero left a trap here or something.”

Luna piped up. “I can pull it for you, if you’d like me to.”

Luna walked forwards next to Phi and daintily placed her hand on the lever handle. Before Phi could consciously react – she just about managed to recoil away, scrunch her eyes closed, and slam her hands over her ears – Luna pulled the lever.

Phi curled up tight, waiting for the coming explosion.

“Hey, Phi!” Tenmyouji’s mirthful voice snapped her out of her tense expectation. “Nothing bad happened!”

Phi opened her eyes cautiously. Tenmyouji was right. Whatever horrific disaster Phi had been preparing herself for, it hadn’t happened. The only response to the activation of the lever was that one of the doors – the door on the right – had unlocked.

“Great. You finally back with us,” Tenmyouji continued, “Hmm… I wonder why only one of them opened?”

Phi thought about it. “I expect the other two will open later, once we solve more puzzles. The doors would hardly be set up like this if the other two weren’t gonna be used.”

“Yeah. Still, ain’t you curious to find out what’s behind them now?” Tenmyouji asked, “You were the one insisting on investigating everything, earlier, no matter what the consequences to everyone else were,” he said scornfully.

“I think we should head through now,” Luna stated. Before either Phi or Tenmyouji could reply to her, and with untypical decisiveness, Luna marched towards the unlocked door, which opened to receive her.

 

Phi scrambled up from where she had dived away from the lever and chased Luna. She passed through the door and entered the small compartment behind it just in time to see a holographic plaque – reading ‘Pantry’ – disappear into the ceiling along with the sliding door it was projected from. With Tenmyouji close behind her, Phi went through that door as well and found herself in the pantry: the room where, it was clear, the next puzzle would take place.

The pantry was approximately rectangular, though it had several irregularly shaped alcoves containing various intriguing machines. Luna had moved to the right of the room, so Phi went left. To the immediate left was an immense water tank, raised precariously above a carefully maintained dispenser. Beyond that was the exit door and on the left wall beside the exit door was a trolley containing several strangely marked drawers. Phi advanced on the trolley curiously, intrigued by the largest of the drawers: the one on the right hand side of the trolley. She reached her right hand out towards it.

Suddenly Luna was beside her. Phi had no idea how Luna had moved so quickly without Phi hearing her. Moving much faster than Phi had, Luna swept her hand towards the drawer handle and grasped it tightly. It seemed like she held it there for an entire second.

Then Luna jerked her arm away. “Ow!” she said, raising her voice above her normal soft tones, “It’s hot.”

Phi held her hand in front of the drawer. Even from that distance, she could feel the heat radiating; as Luna had found, the drawer was incredibly hot. Since she didn’t want to burn herself, Phi decided she would come back to it later.

Phi moved on. Past the trolley was the safe. Phi knew she wouldn’t be able to open it yet, but when she looked closer she saw a beaker and some sort of mechanism resting on the table next to the safe. Phi examined the device. It looked incomplete, with a slot for attaching another part, but Phi was able to tell that it was some sort of push-button. Phi moved the beaker and button in front of the safe so they would be easier to find later, then moved on to examine the icebox in the corner furthest from the entry door. There were handles on each side of the lid, but when Phi tried to open it she failed completely: the lid wouldn’t budge. It was then that Phi noticed a piece of paper sticking out of the gap between the lid and the box. It was trapped by the lid; Phi realised she wouldn’t be able to read it until they worked out how to open the lid.

Stretching out from the wall furthest from the entry door were two parallel shelves full of dull grey, unlabelled boxes. Phi suspected that they would have no part to play in the puzzle because it would be impossible to differentiate between the boxes to see which ones were needed. Sheltered behind the two shelves was a cupboard; Phi was curious to see what was inside, but Tenmyouji got there first and there was no way for two people to fit between the shelves.

Finally, the right hand wall was dominated by an immense rack of storage cupboards, organised into four large grids, each labelled with three numbers in bold text across the top. When Phi touched the insulated hatches, she could feel the outer edges of a blizzard-like cold emanating from the storage spaces. It was almost certainly a freezer.

To the right of the freezer was a computer screen. Phi activated it and saw a selection of inputs matching the labelling of the freezer; the computer was clearly used to extract things – presumably food – from the freezer. Phi tested it, tapping ‘1 2 3’, ‘D’, and then ‘8’. Though the freezer responded, with a hatch on the far left opening and presenting a compact plastic container, the screen still flashed red and displayed the word ‘Incorrect’. Phi wondered what she was supposed to do with the freezer to solve the puzzles, but since she had no idea she decided to first examine the container the freezer had provided.

The label declared it to be a box of chicken paella and also had instructions for preparing the food inside: ‘Place inside the heater for five minutes. Leave to cool before serving.’ There was no harm in trying it. Wrapping her shirt around her hand to protect her from the heat, Phi opened the hot drawer of the trolley and placed the paella inside. As she did so she noticed the gleam of a piece of metal. Sliding along the bottom of the heater was a metal piece, with one screw-like end that looked like it would fit into the device Phi had left in front of the safe.

“Hey, Luna, come and have a look at this.” Once Luna was next to her, Phi pointed at the heater drawer. “I think we need that, but there’s no way I’m sticking my hand in there to grab it,” Phi explained.

“Maybe we can find something to protect our hands as we get it out,” Luna suggested.

Phi turned around to look for such a thing. As she did so, she noticed something that she had missed in her eagerness to experiment with the freezer. Next to the computer screen there was a poster. Remembering the poster that had helped her and Sigma in the first puzzle, she ripped it off the wall. Hopefully it would be a useful hint to solving this puzzle.

When Phi turned back around, Luna was smiling at her and pointing at the top surface of the trolley. Phi’s gaze followed, and she saw the metal piece from inside the heater resting on top of the trolley.

“I was able to get it out,” Luna said humbly. Phi waited, but Luna didn’t seem inclined to offer any further explanation.

Phi stared, trying to find whatever Luna had used to protect her hands, but it was nowhere to be seen. How had Luna managed to retrieve the item? Still, there would be no benefit to interrogating Luna now; it would only delay their attempt to solve the puzzle.

 

The three of them reunited in front of the trolley and pooled the items they had found. Tenmyouji had found a beaker of universal pH indicator and two binders full of nutritional data. Once Luna was sure that the metal piece had cooled down enough she screwed it into the other half of the device; the completed device took the form a button with a spike protruding from the bottom. Finally, Phi showed them the poster. On the front was a calendar. Now that she had examined it properly she perceived that the layout of the calendar was identical to that of the freezer. She realised, and explained to the others, that they could convert dates into inputs for the freezer.

As she lifted the poster, the bright lights of the pantry caught it straight from behind and Phi was able to see that there was writing on the back. Phi flipped it over and read the message out loud.

“‘The day the man was abducted’? What do you two make of that?”

Luna looked at Phi distractedly. “I’m… n-not sure,” she stuttered, “Do you really think it’s important?”

“Of course it is!” Phi replied, wondering how Luna could possibly think that they should ignore it, “Why else would Zero have written it here? Besides, we know that we can convert dates to settings for the freezer. This must be a clue to a date.” Phi read the note to herself again. “Hey, Tenmyouji, you’re the only man here. When were you abducted?”

Tenmyouji glared at her furiously. “I told you not to ask me stuff like that!” he roared, “Why do you have to pick away at every last little thing?! You nosy little…”

“Wait,” Phi interrupted him, “You mean to say you’re not even allowed to tell me when you were kidnapped. Zero banned you from telling us that as well? That’s just crazy. The rest of us were able to say when and how we were brought here. What the hell is up with you, Tenmyouji?!”

“What the hell is up with _you_?” Tenmyouji responded, “I’ve said I can’t tell you, and you won’t listen. I’m beginning to think I shouldn’t have thanked you earlier for helping me get Quark through the door I wanted for him. You probably only wanted to trap me here to give me the third degree.”

“Please don’t argue!” Luna raised her voice tearfully. Once Phi and Tenmyouji had calmed down and looked at her, Luna continued, “I’m sure we can get through this if we just work together. Hey Phi, there are some dates here you can use.” Luna pointed at a collection of five post-it notes, each with a pair of numbers on them, that had been attached haphazardly to the far side of the trolley. “And Tenmyouji, why don’t you check out those binders you found? I’m sure there will be a puzzle in there that you can solve, and that way you won’t have to interact with Phi and fight anymore.” Phi wondered how Luna was so sure of the contents of Tenmyouji’s files, but with Luna standing purposefully between Phi and Tenmyouji there was no way to see for herself what was inside.

“Ugh, fine,” Tenmyouji relented. He flipped through the sheets in one of the binders hastily. “I’ll be working with the water tanks. Stay away from me, Phi.”

 

Once Tenmyouji had marched away, Phi collected the sticky notes and carried them over to the freezer computer. Luna had apparently chosen to stay over at the water tank – trying to massage Tenmyouji’s ego, probably – so Phi had to convert the dates into freezer compartments by herself, rapidly transferring her attention from the post-it notes, to the calendar, then moving into the centre of the room to survey the entire freezer, then returning to the computer to enter the correct setting. It would have been much easier to accomplish with two people working together, but Phi had to work with what she had, which was herself and nothing further.

Eventually, however, Phi was able to enter all five codes, each one eliciting an ‘Accepted’ response. She turned to the freezer to collect the five items it had dispensed. Each was the same size and shape as the box of paella, but, unfortunately, they did not contain irresistibly delicious food. In fact, they contained nothing at all; they were just solid wooden blocks with the words ‘Meat’, ‘Fish’, ‘Salad’, ‘Pasta’, and ‘Soup’, written on them in scribbly handwriting. It seemed to Phi as though getting the freezer puzzle wrong got you a better reward than getting it right.

That reminded Phi that her box of paella was more-or-less finished cooking. After depositing the phony food containers in their slots in the trolley, and taking care not to burn herself, she retrieved her paella from the cooker. Just as she was about to open the packet and partake of the delicious meal inside, Phi had a horrifying thought. What if Zero had poisoned the food in here? Phi would have to test the food to make certain it was safe to eat. Unfortunately, Phi wasn’t willing to make a test subject of either Luna or Tenmyouji – no matter how annoyed and suspicious she was of the latter – so it seemed the paella would go to waste. As Phi resolved this, her stomach rumbled voraciously. It seemed that her tummy, at least, would prefer to take the risk of dying of horrible poisoning than not eat.

Once Phi had abandoned the paella, she turned to the water dispenser to see if Tenmyouji and Luna had finished. Tenmyouji was stooped over a full water tank, dragging it towards the trolley, while Luna stood beside him fretting.

“Do you want me to help you?” Luna asked gently.

Tenmyouji rebuffed her. “I can manage it by myself. Go and get one of the other tanks.”

As Luna walked away from Tenmyouji, Phi looked past her to see three more similar tanks arranged under the water tap; Luna reached them and picked up the closest. Phi decided to help. Tenmyouji may have told her to stay away, but carrying a different water tank shouldn’t count, and Phi wanted to solve the puzzle faster. In the time it took Tenmyouji to haul his tank all the way back to the trolley and return it to its slot on the bottom shelf, Phi and Luna managed to return the other three.

 

With the trolley now completely full, Phi expected the computer screen on the top right of it to activate, but it remained obstinately black. Phi tapped the screen a couple of times hopefully, then noticed a slot for a keycard running along the bottom. They had searched almost everything in the room; there was only one last place that the keycard could be hiding.

The icebox.

Phi examined it carefully, and eventually found a narrow hole just under the rim of the lid. She pointed it out to Luna, who precisely inserted the spike of the button mechanism; it fitted perfectly. Once Luna had pressed the button, the seal on the lid released and Phi was able to retrieve the sheet of paper wedged in between. Phi read the title emblazoned across the top in large bold red text.

‘Warning: Do not move ice box lid until you have read these instructions.’

“Hey, don’t do anything yet,” Phi said to Tenmyouji, who was moving past her to grab the handles of the icebox lid, “I need to read the rest of this."

‘Hee, hee, hee! The ice box you are trying to hop-en is empty. Your goal is actually burrowed inside the icebox lid. It’s inside an ice cube! If you wanna get it, you’re gonna have to get it to hop down into the box through the hole. Now, how do you do that? Well, this ice box lid can actually be opened in all four directions. Isn’t that amazing? That means that you can actually slide the ice cubes around inside. But you can’t just do it forever. No, no, no! Eventually the ice cubes are gonna stick and then they won’t move anymore. The first cube will stick after three moves, the second and third will stick four moves after leaving the storage bit. And the last cube, the one that contains the card you need? Well you’ll just have to hope that it stays slippery long enough to get it out, won’t you?! Otherwise… you’ll be stuck in there… foreveeeeeeeeer! Have a nice trouble!’

“I hate that mouse,” Phi commented, shuddering as she read Zero Jr.’s words, “Still, we need to be careful here. Plan our moves.”

The usual trick for solving ice-sliding puzzles was to work back from the exit, finding walls that the ice blocks could be rested against before changing direction. That wasn’t possible this time. There weren’t any suitable walls in line with the hole. Phi realised that this was why Zero had placed so much emphasis on the fact that the ice cubes would eventually freeze in place. If they could direct the penultimate cube so it stopped in the right place, it would act as the wall they needed to get the cube out. Phi worked out the way to get a cube into that perfect location, using the other two cubes as a sort of ladder. Once she was sure that her method worked, she began.

“So, we need to tilt it that way first…”

“I can do it,” Tenmyouji insisted.

Luna frowned at him with concern. “Are you sure? I mean…”

“I can do it!” Tenmyouji took his position on the opposite side of the icebox from Phi and grasped the handles steadily.

Phi called out instructions. Though Tenmyouji grumbled about having to take orders from Phi, he obeyed her, and one by one the ice cubes slid into the places Phi intended for them. Soon only one ice cube – the one containing the keycard – was still moving freely.

“Okay, tilt it towards me,” Phi commanded.

Tenmyouji raised his end of the lid upwards, disappearing from Phi’s line of sight as the lid came between them. Phi watched intently as the ice cube gradually slid down towards the hole.

“Gah!” Tenmyouji screamed.

The lid, no longer supported, crashed back down. Phi saw Tenmyouji sitting against the far wall, his right hand clawing at his left shoulder. Luna rushed over to him frantically. She manipulated the old man’s shoulder carefully stopping only when she was satisfied Tenmyouji hadn’t broken anything.

“It...” Tenmyouji gasped with agony as he tried to speak. “It’s s-supposed to be easier than this here… Guess I am just an old man.”

Phi looked at the lid, now come to rest, where the ice cube had not managed to fall down the hole. Phi tilted the lid. The ice cube didn’t move.

“No! Damnit, no!”

Zero’s instructions echoed in her mind: ‘Otherwise… you’ll be stuck in there… foreveeeeeeeeer! Have a nice trouble!’ The puzzle was now unsolvable. Their only hope was to wait for the ice cube to melt: perhaps they could use the cooker somehow to heat the lid up.

Before Phi could formulate a plan to escape their predicament, an announcement blared through the facility’s speakers. “An Ambidex Gate has been opened. Forty five minutes remain until Ambidex Game polling closes.”

 

There was no time. They had to escape the pantry. Now.

 

**To Be Continued…**

 

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Congratulations on reaching your first plot lock:_ ** _Plot Lock 8 - Unsolvable Ice Puzzle._ **  
_This plot lock is dedicated to the[thonky.com](http://www.thonky.com/virtues-last-reward/pantry) walkthrough, without which this puzzle really would have been unsolvable for me._  
_I mean, seriously, how would this have worked in real life? Nine times out of ten, you're gonna make a wrong move and get all your ice cubes frozen. The game let you restart, but that's not something that can happen in reality. And that's ignoring the fact that reality isn't neatly divided into a grid, along which ice cubes slide perfectly..._  
_Yeah. This puzzle doesn't work in reality._


	7. The Lion or the Lamb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After reaching a Plot Lock, we restart here. This chapter follows chapter four: the first round of the AB Game, versus Tenmyouji.

Phi’s finger stabbed down onto the terminal screen… onto ‘Ally’. Her choice had been made. She could only hope that Tenmyouji would reciprocate.

“Round one of the Ambidex Game has been completed,” said the announcement voice, “Results will be displayed in the warehouse.”

Phi trudged out of the AB room as a wave of dread swelled inside of her. She had taken a terrible risk. If Tenmyouji had chosen ‘Betray’… Phi’s body started to shake. She couldn’t bear to show such weakness in front of Sigma, but her body wouldn’t stop.

Sigma came up behind her. “You’re worrying too much,” he said gently, “I’m sure Tenmyouji chose ‘Ally’ too.”

Phi wondered how Sigma was so certain. He couldn’t have felt that way back in the AB room, else he would have voted himself without waiting to discuss it with Phi. Perhaps he was just trying to be kind, but there was a spark of confidence in his eyes – even his artificial eye – that suggested otherwise.

Phi snapped at him, “You don’t have any facts, just misguided optimism.”

“Hey, if you felt that way, you would have voted to betray, right? So you must think he’ll vote ‘Ally’ too.”

Phi wasn’t sure what to make of that. She was having difficulty introspecting past the wall of fear her body was crushing her under. It was true that everyone co-operating was the best result for everyone, but yet…

Before she could calm herself, however, Zero called to them. “Wasssuuuuup! Siggy, Phido! We’re about to announce the results!”

Everyone else was already standing around Zero, and Sigma and Phi rushed over to join them. This was the moment where they would find out if her decision was correct, or if her terror was justified.

With a fanfare, Zero began. “Ambidex Game! Round One!” Giving a mocking bow, his avatar vanished from the screen to be replaced by an orderly table of results:

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

K                                     3                           Betray                        +3                           6  
Clover                             3                                                             +3                           6

Luna                               3                             Ally                           -2                            1

 

Dio                                 3                            Betray                        +3                           6  
Quark                             3                                                             +3                            6

Alice                               3                             Ally                           -2                            1

 

Sigma                             3                             Ally                           -2                            1  
Phi                                  3                                                             -2                            1

Tenmyouji                      3                            Betray                        +3                           6

 

There was an uproar as everyone comprehended the results. Four people were now hovering precariously on one bracelet point, a complete sweep of successful betrayals. Four people, including Phi.

Phi charged Tenmyouji furiously. “What the hell?” she roared, all her fear transforming itself into a resounding rage.

Tenmyouji barely reacted. Whatever had affected him when they’d found the old lady, it was even worse now. “Right… um… I’m sorry, I swear,” he muttered. For all the intensity of Phi’s approach, he didn’t seem to notice her at all.

“Just tell me one thing, Tenmyouji. Why did you do it?”

Tenmyouji looked her in the eye for the first time since he betrayed her. “Are you serious? Someone’s dead, and not just dead: murdered! I’ve got no reason to think that murderer wasn’t one of you. Only an idiot trusts someone he’s never met when there’s a killer on the loose. You think I had a choice?”

“Yeah. We all had a choice. Between ‘Ally’, and ‘Betray’. It was right there on the screen. ‘Ally’. ‘Betray’.”

Tenmyouji grunted. “Hmph. I’ve had enough of this. I’m an old man, and tired. So very tired.” As he said this, he started to wander off.

Somewhere behind her, Sigma whispered, “Huh? He chose ‘Ally’ last time…” Phi had no idea what he was on about. His certainty that Tenmyouji had voted ‘Ally’ had been conclusively proven wrong, but Phi couldn’t imagine what Sigma meant by ‘last time’. Did he know something she didn’t? Still, it would do no good to ask Sigma what the hell it meant, just as there was no chance of getting anything more out of Tenmyouji.

Instead, Phi turned to focus on the two very similar arguments that were happening among the other trios.

“Hey!” Alice shouted at Quark and Dio, “What the hell is this?!”

Dio started stuttering, “Hey, look lady, I-I was gonna choose ‘Ally’, I swear to God. But just as I’m about to do it, this little bastard gets in first and presses ‘Betray’.”

“What?” Quark asked incredulously. He pointed his finger accusingly at Dio, staring furiously, and was about to give his own side of the story when Dio talked over him rudely.

“Come on. Really just gonna try and play it dumb, huh? You’re a manipulative little twerp, aren’t you?”

It wasn’t very convincing. Everyone could tell that Dio was only describing himself.

Even Alice could tell. She pushed Dio to one side to give Quark room to explain the truth, asking, “Quark, is he telling the truth?”

“No!” Quark shouted, “I didn’t do anything! I didn’t have a chance to do anything before Mr. Dio pressed the button! How could you do that, Mr Dio?”

Alice nodded, then turned to Dio. “Just you wait, Dio,” she said. Though Alice had clearly pinpointed Dio as the cause of her drop in BP, she didn’t press the matter any further, instead walking over to where K and Clover were justifying themselves to Luna. K and Clover were at least presenting a united front to Luna.

“We aren’t trying to blame you…” K started.

“But, I mean, if you just think about it, wouldn’t it just make more sense to choose ‘Betray’?” Clover concluded.

Luna stood in stunned silence for almost half a minute. “Forget it. I understand now. It was silly to trust you guys.”

 

With all three arguments concluded, there was nothing to do but carry on with the Nonary Game.

Alice turned to the screen, where Zero’s rodent-like avatar was waiting for them smugly, and checked her bracelet. “Zero, our bracelets say the next round starts in an hour. How do we get through the next set of doors downstairs?”

Zero giggled. “Maybe you don’t get through those doors. Maybe you have to stay up here, forever, with meeeeee! Won’t that be fun?”

Alice answered confidently, “You called this ‘Round One’. Where there’s a round one, there’s a round two.”

K interjected, “Besides, didn’t you say the goal of the AB Game was to get nine BP? That’s impossible without a second round.”

Zero pouted, his elaborate hat drooping to one side. “You lot are no fun. Yes, there’s a second round. There!” Suddenly Zero perked up. “Yes, you get to vote again, loads more juicy betrayals! Just as soon as you get the AB gates open again.

Clover made a quizzical little squeak. “But… they’re already open!”

Zero mimed slamming his head into his hand. “Whoopsie! Lemme just clooooose them!” On Zero’s cue six pairs of doors whirred closed.

Once all the doors were fully closed an announcement played through the speakers. “Round two of the Ambidex Game will be the Moon round. Moon keys will be required to open the gates.”

“So those Sun keys you have are just compleeeeetely useless now,” Zero concluded, “Weeeell, I guess you could throw them at each other, or use them to pick your teeth, but other than that they’re useless.”

“So, how many times do we play the AB game?” Dio asked.

Zero shrugged. “Dunno? As many times as you need to? I plan on keeping this party going until somebunny opens the Number Nine door. It could be next round! Or you could get stuck below 9 BP, where everybunny just keeps going back and forth, back and forth, winning and losing points… After all, if no one has nine BP the door can’t open… Round three, Round four, Round five… Round 100, Round 2000… you might even go all the way to Round 17,179,869,183: things get really weird if I get that high. I really, really hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Sigma, a curious look on his face, asked Zero a question. “There’s rules about who can go through the Chromatic doors, right? Like, you have to have three people exactly. Are there similar rules for the Number Nine door?”

“Nope! There aren’t any rules about how many people can go through that door. It could be one person, or two people, or even all nine of you.” Zero frowned. “Just one thing, though, Siggy… All that stuff about how you have to have three people to go through the secondary Chromatic doors. Maybe it’s not… 100% true. You just need to have the correct three bracelets. As long as the scanners see the right combination of bracelets… the people don’t matter.”

“So you’re saying these things can come off?” Sigma said.

“Tell me how I take it off!” Quark shouted, pulling at his wrist.

“Well, there’s two ways,” Zero explained, “First is to escape through the Number Nine door. Soon as you do, you’re free to go, none of my business, no more turbocuarine hanging over you. Second… well the second’s far more enjoyable.”

“What’s the second way, Zero?!” Dio yelled, “Tell us already!”

Zero chuckled deeply. “Oh, B.O. I think you already know. Do you really want to get rid of that bracelet? It’s easy. Nothing to it.

“You die.

“Now if we’re lucky, we might see a few of them come off during the next round!” Zero giggled at his thinly veiled threat. “If I had to guess, it’s gonna be Moony or Alas or Siggy or Phido…” – Zero grinned maniacally at the four people who had been betrayed in the first round – “or even all of them.”

Zero then that anyone whose BP dropped to zero would be punished just as harshly as if they’d broken the rules.

Alice scolded Zero passionately. “What the hell! This is important stuff! Why didn’t you tell us earlier? You were supposed to tell us the rules, not hide them! Is there anything else you’ve conveniently left out?! It’s not fair to make us play the game without explaining all the rules!” This didn’t accomplish anything. Zero was an AI, and a malicious one at that, and was unlikely to be swayed by anything they could say.

 

Instead, Zero carried on with his spiel. “The next set of Chromatic Doors you’ll be going through are downstairs,” Zero continued to explain, “You already saw them, right? There should have been three: red, blue and green. That means to get through, you’ll need bracelets in cyan, magenta and yellow. But wait! You already have those bracelets!”

Phi looked down at her wrist automatically. Her bracelet had been updated with her new score – ‘1’ – and as Zero had implied the colour of the text had changed: it was now cyan.

Sigma muttered, “Hmm, mine changed from red to magenta.” That was a surprise. Phi had expected the pairs to stay the same.

As it was, not only did the pairs not stay the same, but whether someone was a pair or solo changed as well: Phi’s new partner was Luna. Phi wasn’t sure what to make of that. Sure, Luna was a pleasant person to be around, but she still seemed to be the type who would only ever vote to ally – even K’s and Clover’s blunt explanation of their betrayal hadn’t disabused her – while Phi was disinclined ever again to vote ‘Ally’. Phi expected that this could cause some unpleasant friction next time they were in the AB room. However, instead of worrying about it, Phi turned to the immediate concern, which was finding out how everyone’s bracelets had changed:

Sigma’s new partner was Clover; they were the magenta pair.  
Alice and K were the yellow pair.  
Tenmyouji was the cyan solo.  
Quark was the magenta solo.  
Finally Dio was the yellow solo.

“When did they change?” Quark asked Zero.

“Back when the AB gates closed. As soon as the gates close, your colours get all shuffled up automatically. The pair and solo assignments hop around too,” Zero explained, jumping around the screen to illustrate his statement.

“Now, with all that explained… I must bid you adieu. Sadly…” – Zero’s lip trembled – “we may never meet again. There’s not really anything for me to facilitate anymore. I’ll never see you guys…again!”

There was awkward silence.

Suddenly Zero burst out laughing. “Did you really think I was gonna cry! I hate you losers. Anyway gooood luck. I may be gone, but I’m always watching. Have a nice tragedy!” With that, the mouse disappeared from the screen, never to be seen again.

Good riddance.

 

Quark was the first to speak. “So… what happens now? We’ve still got a while till the Chromatic Doors open.” In fact, they had three quarters of an hour.

Alice took charge. “We should go and see if we can find any other exits,” she commanded, “Maybe there’s a vent or a disposal chute or something. I for one wouldn’t mind examining the other rooms.”

“Let’s split up,” Phi suggested. She estimated how much time they would need to get down to the Chromatic Doors. “Let’s meet in front of the Chromatic Doors five minutes before they open.”

 

The group split up. Phi decided to head back to the infirmary. She would have time later to visit the other rooms; for now, the search would be more efficient if there was someone in each room who had searched there before, who could guide the others. She arrived to find Alice leaning over the body of the old lady. She must have rushed here in advance of the others, hoping to get some time to examine it alone.

“So, you find anything else?” Phi announced her presence. She smirked as she saw Alice tense up; as she had expected, Alice hadn’t wanted anyone to see what she was doing.

“Nothing,” Alice said tersely.

Phi peered past Alice at where the body still lay next to the ADAM. “So you didn’t notice that she was killed without a struggle, probably by someone who ambushed her from behind? And you didn’t…” Phi lifted up the woman’s left arm carefully and presented it to Alice. The blood splatter there was interrupted by a uniform band of clean skin. “… notice this mark on her left wrist either?” A sudden spark in Alice’s eyes confirmed Phi’s hypothesis: Alice had noticed both of those things but, for whatever reason, she was trying to conceal what she had found.

“Well, fine. I did notice that,” Alice stated levelly, “But you didn’t notice that her body was moved into the AB room from where she was killed. Unless you actually thought you could stab someone in the heart without their blood going all over the walls?”

Phi allowed Alice her small victory. She had missed that. Still, she had discovered something very interesting. Alice was far more competent, even highly trained, than she was letting on. Phi was almost certain that whatever Alice was hiding, it had something to do with the conversation with Clover that Phi had heard just the end of. ‘Headquarters’. That was what she had overheard Alice saying to Clover. Phi stepped even closer, resolving to interrogate Alice about the identity of her mysterious organisation.

“Hmph! You’re not gonna give her even the slightest bit of privacy, are you?!”

Now it was Phi’s turn to jump. She spun around frantically to see Tenmyouji advancing from the direction of the yellow door, Quark tagging along behind him. Sternly, Tenmyouji instructed Alice and Phi to move the body over to one of the other beds, on the far side of the plastic divider that split the room in two. Once they had done so, Tenmyouji turned his focus to the divider; it was far too large for the frail old man to move, but he tried anyway, and succeeded in moving it just enough to shelter the old lady from the gaze of anyone coming through the door. Once he had finished he turned back to the others.

“So, did you find anything in here? Or were you just planning on disrespecting her all day?” he asked angrily.

“You don’t think working out who killed her is important?” Alice said.

“Hmph.” Tenmyouji refused to respond to that; instead he stared, unmoving, straight at the screen, as if he could still see the body on the other side.

“Hey, Miss Phi, Miss Alice,” Quark said politely, though without much of the cheer that had characterised his voice earlier, “Can I help search, too?”

Phi grinned at him. “Sure!”

“Well, okay,” Alice said. “There’s a lot of things we need to look under. You should look under those for us. I won’t. Sure, I have a perfectly lithe and supple body, but there’s no way I’m ruining my knees by crawling around on them down there.”

Phi, Alice and Quark searched the infirmary thoroughly, taking care not to disturb Tenmyouji from his sullen vigil beside the lady’s body. After several minutes with nothing to show for it, Quark gave up. He approached Alice, a concerned look on his face.

“Miss Alice…” he started hesitantly, “You did believe me, right? You didn’t believe what Mr. Dio said about me?”

Alice stared past him coldly. “I don’t really care what happened in there. All that matters is that I’m on one BP now, and I have to think about getting more in the next round.”

Quark turned his eyes down dejectedly and wandered away to the other side of the privacy curtain.

 

Alice strolled away towards the exit door. As she left, Phi realised that this was the perfect moment to confront Alice about what she was hiding. Phi raced after her and caught up with her just as she was about to turn right towards the crew quarters.

“Alice, wait up!” Phi called after her.

“Is this going to take long? I have to go and find Clover.”

Phi smirked. “Probably best I caught you now, then, before you could get your story straight. What’s ‘Headquarters’, exactly?”

Alice glared at her, “So you did hear that,” she stated, “I can’t tell you. It’s confidential.”

“Heh. You’ve good as just told me something’s up. So what is it? Criminal? Government...?” Once again, Phi baited an involuntary reaction out of Alice. Government it was. “So does this… ‘confidential’ thing,” Phi said, her voice dripping with sarcastic scorn, “have anything to do with Zero? With the Nonary Game?”

“No,” Alice stated confidently.

“You sure? Because if whatever you do has something to do with this, it would help the rest of us…”

“For all I know, you’re the enemy, you’re Zero,” Alice interrupted, “Forgive me for not wanting to tell you everything you asked for.”

Phi thought about this for a second, working out the best possible response. “Don’t you think Zero already knows everything? If they were able to abduct you from wherever…”

Before Phi could finish, they were interrupted by Luna skipping over from the crew quarters with a cheery wave. “Hello, Phi, Alice! Have you found anything yet?”

“No,” Alice replied curtly, “Now I have to go and find Clover.”

“She’s looking in the crew quarters.” Luna pointed in that direction.

Alice marched off, swiftly evading Phi’s attempts to continue the interrogation. Before Phi could react, the door shut and she was left behind with Luna. Phi decided to make the best of it as they strolled towards the lounge. After all, Luna was her partner for the next round; they may as well discuss their strategy and choice of solo.

“So, the three solos are Tenmyouji, Quark, and Dio,” she said, “What do you think of them? Which one should we try to partner up with next round?”

Luna turned to her serenely. “Phi, I think you should make whatever choice you think is right.”

“Really? No opinions whatsoever?” Phi asked sarcastically.

Luna struggled to reply. “I… think you should make whatever choice you think is right,” she repeated herself.

 

Before Phi could ask her what she meant by that, they reached the lounge. The door slid up to reveal Sigma, Dio and K leaning against the bar and chatting. Phi glanced past them at the rack of bottles. She hadn’t been able to get a good look at them earlier, but after the stress of the first AB round, the bar was starting to look very inviting.

“Oh, hello Sigma. Did any of you find anything?” Luna called to the three of them.

By the way the three men were standing around, Phi thought it was very unlikely they had. “You were actually looking, right? Hey. Answer me.”

Sigma looked sheepish. “Oh, uh, well, I mean, we weren’t wasting time… I was just asking them what they found.”

Phi raised her eyebrow suggestively.

“… which was nothing,” Sigma finished.

Before Phi could tell Sigma off, K started speaking. “Phi, Sigma, you were two of the people searching the infirmary, weren’t you? Ah, was there anything interesting in there?”

Sigma responded, pulling the newspaper article they had found in the infirmary safe out of his pocket. In the excitement and terror of the past hour, it had slipped Phi’s mind, but its macabre report soon returned to her memory. “Oh, yeah. I almost forgot,” Sigma said, holding out the paper in the direction of K, Luna and Dio, “It’d take too long to explain. Just have a look at this.”

Luna took the paper and read the article out loud; with each despairing word everyone’s expressions sunk. Even K, whose face was hidden behind his armour, seemed paralysed.

“Is there a chance… I mean, I certainly hope it isn’t the case, but… Could it be that this facility is, in fact, one of the quarantine locations that clipping mentions?”

It didn’t seem very likely to Phi. There weren’t enough of them, for one. More importantly, Alice – Phi was increasingly convinced – seemed like some sort of government agent and was as confused as the rest of them: either she had been pretending perfectly from the moment they met, or Alice – and, by extension, the government – weren’t involved. Finally…

“Then… you’re saying we’re all infected with this Radical-6 virus?” Luna asked shyly.

“I dunno,” Sigma replied, “It doesn’t really fit. I mean, none of us have any kind of symptoms, right?”

That was true, at least for Phi. Wouldn’t a virus capable of killing hundreds of thousands have affected them more seriously by now? And if they were in a quarantine facility, wouldn’t they be ill with the virus?

K seemed heartened that his grim hypothesis had been dismissed by the others. “Are you suggesting our incarceration here has nothing to do with this article?”

Finally Dio chimed in from where he had been standing quietly in the corner, “Yeah. It just doesn’t add up. The order’s backwards. Maybe if we’d been thrown in here after this virus started spreading… But right now it looks like we were abducted before this thing turned into a pandemic.” He gestured extravagantly. “How’s that make any kind of sense? Besides… you found the article in the safe, right? That means Zero Sr. put it there specifically so we could find it and read it. So that we’d think that this place is a quarantine facility. So that we’d think what Zero wants us to think. This thing is just a… a prop. Something to set the scene. Zero’s trying to freak us out. That article is a fake.” Dio snatched the article out of Luna’s hand and turned it over, presenting the back to the group. It was matte black. “See? There you go. Why would a newspaper just be black on one side?”

“Well, perhaps there was an advertisement there,” K suggested half-heartedly, “Some sort of full page ad, with a black background.”

Sigma immediately overruled him, “No… I’d bet you money an article like this was front page news. It’s too big of a story. And I really don’t think they put full-page ads on the back of the front page.”

They had arrived at a consensus. The facility they were in was not a quarantine zone.

Sigma broke off the topic of conversation. “I’ll be off then. See if I can find anything else. What about you guys?”

 

Phi, Luna, K and Dio preferred to stay in the lounge. Once Sigma had left, Dio drew Luna to one side, leaving Phi and K standing in front of the bar. He shuffled nervously – his armour creaking gently – under her intense gaze.

“Are you still suspicious of me, Phi? Are you here to keep an eye on me?” K asked.

“Hey, don’t get me wrong. I’m just saying the evidence points to you as the old lady’s murderer right now. If we find more evidence in the future, that could change.” Even now, Phi was becoming skeptical of her earlier hypothesis. With Alice’s declaration that the body must have been moved into the AB room, the best piece of evidence against K looked slight weaker.

“That is understandable,” K replied politely, “I will do my best to restore your trust in me.”

“Perhaps,” Phi said. Tilting her head inquisitively, she asked, “Have you remembered anything yet?”

“Ah, not precisely,” K answered, “I still cannot recollect any particular events from my past. However, being in this room is helping. There is something calming, or congenial, perhaps, about the lounge. Despite not remembering it, I feel quite at home here. Perhaps it is just that the sofa is very comfortable…”

Overhearing K’s words, Dio suddenly detached from his conversation with Luna. “Ha! Told you so!” he shouted, before seamlessly returning to his previous discussion. Phi had no clue what Dio’s outburst was referring to.

“Indeed. But even taking that into account,” K continued, “I very much believe I have been here before.”

“You do realise saying ‘You’ve been here before,’ isn’t the best way to convince us you’re not Zero,” Phi said acerbically.

“Oh my!” K covered his chest with his hands contritely. “I did not realise how it would sound. Of course, if I was Zero, I would have realised, and spoken differently. It is only because I am telling the truth, because I do have amnesia, that I said what I said without comprehending the consequences.”

“Maybe,” Phi said neutrally, “I can’t discount the possibility that that was a double bluff.”

“If you are going to use that argument, then you are unlikely to find the truth just by talking to me. Anything I say will be a bluff, or a double bluff, or a triple bluff… I am comfortable saying exactly what I mean.” K paused for a second to let his statement sink in. “Perhaps we should see what Dio and Luna are talking about.”

Phi agreed. It appeared that Luna was politely but effusively fending off Dio’s advances.

“You and Phi should partner up with me next round. Hey, Phi, ain’t I right?”

“I don’t think so, Dio,” Phi replied, “If you’re looking for someone naïve to betray, you should remember I’ll be in there with her.”

“If it were down to me alone, I would be willing to play the AB game against Dio, and atone for my betrayal in the previous round,” K said, with a nod towards Luna, “However, I am partnered with Alice, and I do not believe she would agree.”

“Ha! You don’t deserve the chance to hang around with a gentleman like me,” Dio spluttered, “You…”

 

Before Dio could finish insulting K, Sigma rushed in, his face flushed and panting heavily.

“Luna!” he cried out, “Come quickly! Quark… something’s happened to Quark!”

All five of them raced towards the infirmary, where they met Tenmyouji, Clover and Alice. Quark was lying motionless on the bed next to the ADAM; Tenmyouji stood over him fretfully. Luna joined Tenmyouji the moment she entered the room, gently motioning him aside, before once again picking up the scanner of the ADAM. Once she was done diagnosing Quark she stared at the screen, turning deathly pale as she read the results.

“I… I know what’s wrong with him. I feel so terrible saying this, but… Quark has an infection. A viral infection. Radical-6.”

So the newspaper had been telling the truth. There was no way to get around it. Even if the ADAM was also lying, it was too much to believe that Quark had coincidently succumbed to another debilitating disease.

Tenmyouji sunk to his knees beside the bed. “Quark can’t be… There must be something we can do! How can we cure him?!”

Luna read the results of the ADAM once more, double-checking everything it said. “The ADAM says that there’s an anti-viral serum called Axelavir. It’s the only way to counteract Radical-6. If we can inject him with some, he should… he should be okay.” Unfortunately, there was no such ‘Axelavir’ to be found in the infirmary, either during the original search, or after.

Tenmyouji turned away from the bed and stumbled into the centre of the room. “Then Quark’s… he’s going to… Oh God no…”

“Quark!” Alice shouted, pointing at the space that Tenmyouji had just vacated. Quark was standing stiffly beside the bed, a weary and vacant expression marring his once cheerful face.

“Get away from me!” Before anyone could react, Quark yelled inhumanly. His hands swept up purposefully, and Phi suddenly saw that Quark clenched a scalpel between them, the blade aimed directly towards his own chest. “I’m sorry Grandpa,” he muttered, “I have… have to… I have to escape. Like this!”

Quark drove the scalpel in towards himself. Phi didn’t react in time; she was frozen by shock. Sigma was not. He leapt across the intervening space and grabbed Quark’s hand at the last moment, throwing them both across the bed. Quark struggled, his entire body shaking furiously under Sigma’s grasp, but though Sigma was old, he held on tight.

It took the others a moment to realise what exactly had happened, but before long Phi, K and Dio were also restraining Quark, and with the pressure relieved from Sigma he was able to force the scalpel all the way away from Quark, Clover knocking it safely out of his hand. Quark’s shouts were getting increasingly shrill and frantic, and it was clear that Quark would not calm down. There were only two possible ways this would end before the Chromatic Doors opened. One was not tolerable. The other…

“Luna! Are there any tranquilisers in here?” Phi asked, “Hit him with some!”

Luna arrived next to her wielding an injection gun. After an intense effort to immobilise Quark’s leg, Luna struck, injecting the contents of the gun into a vein. After a few agonising seconds Quark relaxed; he soon fell mercifully unconscious.

Luna checked that Quark was okay using the ADAM, then turned to the others. “He was so strong. I think that might be the virus’s fault. It probably attacks the part of the brain that governs reason. Without anything to hold it back, his body was using every ounce of strength he had.”

“So when Quark tried to kill himself, was that because of Radical-6 too?” Clover asked.

Luna agreed that it probably was. She asked the others if they had heard anything about Radical-6. One by one, they explained that they knew only that which had been explained by the newspaper article Sigma had found, until…

“I have heard rumours about a virus being used as a new sort of bioweapon,” Alice volunteered. Suddenly, everyone was asking her questions, but she waved them aside dismissively. “As much as I would love to explain more, I’m sorry. Time’s up.” She was right. According to the bracelets, only five minutes remained before the Chromatic doors opened.

 

They rushed to the elevator and rode it down, Tenmyouji carrying Quark in a fireman’s lift; he had refused to let anyone touch the boy. As the elevator doors let them out and they spread out into the room, the three Chromatic Doors slid open invitingly.

“Chromatic Doors have opened. Five minutes remain until Chromatic Doors close.”

Phi immediately took charge. She had been mulling over the new set of colours in her head and, once again, had calculated the only three possible options:

 

Option A:  
Phi and Luna went with Dio through the Green door.  
Sigma and Clover went with Tenmyouji through the Blue door.  
Alice and K went with Quark through the Red door.

Option B:  
Phi and Luna went with Quark through the Blue door.  
Sigma and Clover went with Dio through the Red door.  
Alice and K went with Tenmyouji through the Green door.

Option C:  
Phi and Luna went with Tenmyouji through the Red door.  
Sigma and Clover went with Quark through the Green door.  
Alice and K went with Dio through the Blue door.

 

Before Phi could even take another breath after explaining, Tenmyouji voiced his opinion. “I need to take Quark,” he said desperately.

“I’m afraid that won’t work,” Phi replied, “You’re both solos.”

“I think the people who have the greatest disadvantage should choose,” Alice declared, “The people who have one BP. Phi chose last time, so I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be me this time.”

“Alright, then,” Tenmyouji said, “Who do you want to go with?”

“Anyone but Dio,” Alice replied, “I’d rather die than get paired up with that prick. Just… anyone but him.” Dio scowled at Alice, but she carried on talking over him, “What did you expect? You betrayed me!”

“I already told you!” Dio yelped, “That was Quark! What, you’re telling me you trust him more than me? ‘Anyone but Dio’ includes Quark, you know.”

“Okay, if we want to honour Alice’s request,” K said, “then we can go with any option besides C.”

That suited Phi perfectly fine. Option C would put her against Tenmyouji again. That wasn’t something she was quite ready to do yet. Just as she was trying to make up her mind, Clover turned to her.

“Alright, Phi. Who do you want?”

Phi was sure whichever choice she made here would decide the outcome. Luna appeared completely indifferent to the choice of door and solo player. That left only Sigma among the people with one BP, and he would hardly oppose Phi and deadlock the vote, not with only minutes remaining before the doors closed.

The obvious choice for Phi was option B. That would mean taking Quark, giving easy points in the next AB game. That would take her out of the danger zone and get her back in the game. It was the perfect tactical choice. There was only one problem.

It didn’t matter how many points Phi got if someone else opened the Number Nine Door first. With six points and a complete lack of morals, Dio was the greatest threat of that happening. And option B placed Dio opposite Sigma and Clover. Phi wasn’t sure if they were cold-blooded enough to keep Dio in check. Sure, Clover had betrayed Luna the first round, but Phi had the feeling that it was K who had taken the lead on that; from what she had seen of Clover’s and Alice’s relationship, Phi was sure that Clover was used to taking and obeying orders. And Sigma was… well, he was Sigma. He couldn’t betray Dio if his life depended on it. It might be safer just to choose Dio herself: that way he wouldn’t gain any more points next round and the Number Nine Door would hopefully remain closed.

With only a minute to go before the Chromatic Doors closed, Phi announced her choice.

 

 **Choice:**  
**A)** **Go through the Green Door with Dio.  
****B)** **Go through the Blue Door with Quark.**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._


	8. Archive of Zero's Own

“I… Fine, I don’t mind option A. Dio… ugh… can come with us.”

Dio smirked as Phi said that. “So you’re picking me, huh? Can’t say I blame you. Who could resist my dashing good looks and charm?” Phi didn’t dignify that with a response.

As Phi had expected, Sigma was eager to support that choice. “Okay, I’ll take Tenmyouji, so we’ll go through the blue door.”

Tenmyouji looked surprised at Sigma’s willingness to go with him. “But I picked ‘Betray’ last time…”

“Exactly,” Sigma said confidently, “So I’ll just make you pick ‘Ally’ this time. Well, I guess I should say you won’t have a choice.”

“Is that so?” Tenmyouji scratched his head. “Mind telling me how you’ll do that?”

“Heh. I’d love to, but we don’t really have time.”

Sigma was right. The nine of them split up, Tenmyouji passing Quark over to K and Alice and then joining Sigma and Clover at the blue door, while Phi, Luna and Dio squeezed into the space behind the green door. Dio seemed to have dismissed the concept of ‘personal space’, and he barged rudely into the centre of the space, coming uncomfortably close to both Phi and Luna. Fortunately, they had taken most of the countdown to make the decision, and it wasn’t long before the Chromatic Doors closed, the scanners confirmed their presence, and the secondary doors opened, granting Phi and Luna the freedom of movement they so desperately needed.

The corridor they had been allowed into was unusually short, and the three of them could already see their destination. It was a circular hub with three doors facing in different directions. All of them were locked; Phi knew this because they all had lock boxes similar to those that displayed the status of the Chromatic Doors. The only other thing in the room was a lever, reminiscent of the lever that would open the number nine door.

“S-Should we pull the lever?” Luna asked timidly.

Phi knelt down on the right hand side of the lever. “I’d like to examine it first. It may be booby trapped. That would be just like Zero: to let us this far and then blow us up.” She felt with her hands around the axle of the lever, sticking her fingers into the gaps between the parts of the mechanism to try to find anything that was dangerous or wasn’t supposed to be there.

“Get out of the way already and let me pull it!” Dio demanded, advancing behind her. Not waiting for anything, Dio pulled the lever down towards himself.

Phi had barely pulled her hand away in time. If she had been any slower, her fingers would have been trapped – or broken, or cut off entirely – by Dio’s vigorous movement of the mechanism. She checked her hand thoroughly for any injuries, then stood up furiously to confront Dio. “What the hell?! You could have warned me before doing that, you complete idiot…”

Dio interrupted her, “What, Phi? Are you some kind of wimp? Stop wasting my time and let’s go!”

Once Phi had recovered, she noticed that only one of the doors had opened in response to Dio’s pull of the lever: the door to the left. Phi was about to comment about how only one of the three doors had unlocked, but Dio was already marching impatiently through the opened door. Phi and Luna hurried after him down the twisty corridor, catching up just in time to see the door at the end of the corridor before it opened in front of Dio. The door projected a holographic plaque reading ‘Archive’; as Dio approached it the door opened, both the door and the plaque disappearing into the ceiling.

 

The three of them walked into the room that contained their next puzzle. The archive was well named, with every wall being covered from floor to ceiling by book laden shelves. The only breaks in the solid wall of books were the exit door across from them, the door they had entered by, and two small tables embedded in the left hand wall. Phi picked up a book at random from the shelf to her left and flipped through the pages curiously. To her surprise, she found that the text inside was in Latin; Phi attempted to translate some of the text, but due to the incredibly overwrought sentence structure and the presence – every other word, it felt like – of words that she did not know and suspected weren’t actually real words in ancient Latin, the translation attempt was slow, frustrating, and ultimately futile. She flipped back to the front cover and translated the title: ‘To Seek a Way Out: a _Harry Potter_ fanfiction and treatise exploring the effects and consequences of the Radical-6 outbreak upon the Wizarding World in general and Hermione Granger in particular.’ As Phi had noted: incredibly overwrought. Phi also looked for the name of the author, but there was no mention of it on the cover.

“Hey! All the books here look like they are in Latin,” Phi announced to the others, “If you find any that look interesting, I can try and translate it for you.”

Phi returned the book of Harry Potter fanfiction to its shelf and walked past it, scanning the other books she passed for any volumes with interesting titles. However, all the books on this wall also seemed to be fiction: both books that she had heard of translated into Latin, as well as other wordy contributions, probably from the same author as _To Seek a Way Out_.

Phi stopped when she banged her leg on the corner in the table in the corner. Phi wrenched her eyes from the rows of books to examine the obstructing table. A pair of balance scales took up most of the area of the surface. In the left hand pan was a fifty gram weight, while in the right hand pan was a red die; Phi picked them both up and placed them in her pocket. There was also a drawer in the centre of the scales. Phi opened it up to find a screwdriver, which she also took with her.

With the scales now empty, Phi moved on. The shelf she was walking past now contained history books: there was a large collection of Roman history including works by Livy, Virgil and Tacitus, but there were also books covering more recent periods – probably to the same level of detail as the archive’s collection of Roman history, but Phi wasn’t certain about this because her knowledge of other areas of history was far less complete than that of the classical history which she favoured.

None of the history books looked particularly useful for escaping, Phi continued until she reached the second table along the left hand wall. This table had on it a music box – Phi wound it up, but it was broken and failed to make any music – as well as a bottle of ink, a blank sheet of paper and another die, this time blue. Phi dumped the red die, the screwdriver and the weight alongside so that she could keep track of all the items.

The only other thing – other than more books, with the history books giving way to science books – along the left hand wall was a small lockbox with a five-digit combination lock holding it closed and a green die on top of it. As Phi picked up the die, she noticed that the front of the box was labelled with three images of dice. Reading the thing as an equation, it read ‘Blue Die plus Green Die times Red Die’. Phi memorised the equation, but as she wasn’t yet sure what numbers to associate to each of the dice she couldn’t solve it yet.

As Phi placed the green die with the other two dice she realised that some of the science books might mention Axelavir. If they did, the information inside could be critical for curing Quark. Phi scanned the bookcase of science books; fortunately, the word ‘Axelavir’ would remain the same when the text was translated into Latin so it would stand out at a distance.

As a result, Phi found a suitable book almost immediately. The title read ‘Radical-6 and Axelavir: The Development and Distribution of a Cure.’ Phi opened the front cover and started reading. It seemed that, unlike the books around it, _Radical-6 and Axelavir_ had been written by the same author as _Seek a Way Out_ , and as a result translating it was incredibly slow and awkward. It didn’t help that this book contained many technical terms. Reading the introduction alone – ‘Since the terrifying…’, there was a word probably intended to translate as ‘symptoms’, ‘… of Radical-6 will be lamentably familiar to those who have such desperate need to read this book, we will move on swiftly to consider the requirements of the manufacturing process…’ – required Phi to spend nearly a minute getting to grips with it before starting to read.

Luna, having realised what book Phi was attempting to read, came up beside her. “Can I help you with that?” she asked gently.

Of course. If there was anyone here who had a chance of understanding the scientific words that Phi didn’t, it was Luna. “Maybe,” Phi replied, “Have a listen to this.”

Phi turned the pages hurriedly, skimming past a section describing the history of the research that had discovered Axelavir, and arrived at a chapter titled ‘Manufacturing Axelavir’.

Once Phi was comfortable with the translation of the first sentence, she began to read out loud. “‘Making Axelavir is a complicated process requiring:’… Yeah, there’s no way I’m going to understand this.” The rest of the page was a list of words that very definitely weren’t Latin.

Luna patted Phi comfortingly on the shoulder. “Those are the names of different enzymes. I think I can remember them for you. I don’t think it’s likely to matter anyway. Anywhere that’s set up to produce Axelavir will have them all in stock anyway, and the process will probably be automated.”

Phi turned the page and traced the words with her finger until she got halfway down the page, where the list of enzymes ended and proper sentences began again. “Okay, let’s continue: ‘Regrettably, synthesising Axelavir requires a sample of’… ‘seeds…’? Did I translate that right?”

Phi turned to Luna, who face looked ashen. “I-I’m sorry, Phi. I think that means we aren’t going to be able to make any Axelavir.”

“Huh?”

“I think it was a phrase that didn’t translate well, because the words didn’t exist back then. I think it was trying to say ‘Seed Molecules’. That means it needs some of the chemical, in this case Axelavir, for the enzymes to copy to start the process of copying it.”

When Phi finished translating the sentence, she realised that it confirmed exactly what Luna had said. “‘… so it cannot be made without outside help. Instead, samples of the cure must be distributed from the central location of original development so that subsidiary manufacturing plants…’” – Now that Phi had understood the context behind the statement, she realised that the writer had accidentally translated ‘plant’ as ‘leafy green living thing’ rather than ‘factory’ – “‘… may be initiated. It is on this network that the hope of humanity’s future depends.’”

Quivering with frustration, Phi slammed the book back down onto its shelf. There would be no hope for Quark here.

 

 

Forlornly, Phi and Luna returned to the centre of the room, where there was a podium with a computer screen on the top of it, currently arranged so that whoever read the screen faced the right hand wall: the wall opposite the tables and the book about Axelavir. Phi stared at the warm green glow of the screen, noting that it displayed a grid resembling the bookcases in front of her. The four columns were labelled ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’.

Phi swiped her finger across the screen and the entire podium rotated so that she was now facing the exit door. The screen changed so that there were only two columns, with a large gap in the middle, mirroring the way the two bookcases parted around the exit door. The right hand column was labelled ‘Politics’, while the bookcase to the left of it was labelled ‘Biographies’; neither looked particularly useful, either for solving the puzzle or for finding anything out about Zero. Moving the podium again brought up the ‘Science’ and ‘History’ bookcases that Phi had already examined, while one last spin brought her to the large ‘Fiction’ section. Wondering why most of the bookcases were labelled by genre, but the first set of bookcases were merely labelled by letters, Phi returned the podium to its original position.

It was then that Phi noticed a bright orange object perched on top of the left-most bookcase among those on the right hand wall. It was too high to see clearly, but Phi was an accomplished climber so, after removing some of the books from the shelves, she was able to clamber up to the item. It was a small stuffed lion. Phi tossed the lion down to Luna then carefully let herself drop back to floor. Luna looked at the stuffed toy curiously.

“Oh… There’s a zipper on the back,” Luna said as her fingers felt the zipper in question. Luna opened up the lion and felt around inside. “There’s a… memory card in here?”

Phi took the blue memory card from Luna. There was only one thing in the archive that looked anything like a computer: the podium. Phi took the card over to the podium and noticed that there was, in fact, a slot for the memory card below the screen. As she pushed the memory card in the screen glowed white then displayed the image of a grid, on which there were six dice of colours red, blue and green. Phi touched one of the dice and it moved, rolling over into a neighbouring square of the grid. Phi also noticed that six of the squares, arranged in an ‘L’-like pattern, were marked off from the others by a solid black border. Phi guessed that the goal of the puzzle was to arrange the six dice in that area, but without knowing what pattern to put them in she couldn’t start trying to solve it yet.

Hearing a discordant violent noise, Phi turned around to see Dio dismantling the music box using the screwdriver. It was so very like Dio to immediately start breaking things. However, as she approached Dio to try and stop him, she saw that he had extricated the cylinder that provided the notes from inside. Dio then pulled the cap off the bottle of ink and poured it messily over the cylinder.

“Dio! Don’t get that on the books!” Phi shouted angrily; Dio had come very close to marring the precious Roman history collection.

Fortunately, Dio managed to empty the bottle without staining anything important. He then took the cylinder and rolled it along the paper. When Dio removed the cylinder, Phi noticed that it had printed a series of dots in patterns that looked like the pips on dice. Looking at it closer, Phi saw that the collections of pips were in a pattern exactly matching the target area in the grid on the podium. This piece of paper was clearly intended to show which numbers had to be facing up when the dice on the podium screen were in position.

There were only a few items that hadn’t yet been used. Phi pointed out the lockbox in the corner and the equation on the front. “What do you make of that?”

“I’m not sure…” Luna said hesitantly.

Dio picked up the three dice – red, green and blue – on the table. “Heh. I bet these are weighted. Fixed.” Dio laughed. “It’s not like these are the first dice I’ve held that have… preferred to land on one particular number.” Dio rolled the dice several times in an attempt to prove his claim. Unfortunately for him, the dice seemed perfectly willing to land on any number.

Something that Dio had said came to Phi’s attention. “Wait… weighted? There are weighing scales in the corner.”

Phi took the three dice as well as the fifty gram weight back over to the balance scales. Soon Phi had found the weights of the three cubes: the red die was fifty grams, the green die weighed one hundred grams, and the blue die was one hundred and fifty grams. Given the equation on the lockbox, that meant that the passcode for the lockbox was ‘05150’.

 

When Phi announced the passcode, Dio got to the lockbox first. He hurriedly opened the lock and pulled a book with plain brown cover from the box. As Dio opened the front cover of the book, he froze, staring intently at the inside of the cover.

“What the hell?!” he roared.

Dio flipped through the book furiously. He continued turning the pages for what seemed like several minutes, before he noticed Phi and Luna staring at him. He slammed the book back down into the lockbox.

“Uh… Stupid bullshit language…” Dio muttered as he stomped away from the shelf.

Curious, Phi approached the book that Dio had abandoned. The outside cover of the book was blank, with no image, title or author’s name, but the inside of the front cover bore a bold, stylised image of an eagle descending on the reader with talons outstretched. But it was the title, located just above the image on the inside cover, that interested Phi the most. Translated from the Latin, it was: ‘SOIS Operations Manual, Field Operative’s Guide and Regulations.’

SOIS. That was an acronym Phi had not heard for quite some time. Even among her own connections, the Special Office of Internal Security was little more than a rumour: a shadowy force of government spooks that reported only to the Vice-President and the President, authorised to use any means necessary to eliminate threats to the country. Among the Las Vegas underworld, SOIS were spoken of as bogeymen, a crushing force of law which would come down on anyone who committed violence beyond the customary limits of the criminal game, or who grew too powerful to be contained by ordinary law enforcement.

Phi started to read. This book was not written by the same author as the books she had read previously, and therefore it was much easier to translate. The first page contained only a single sentence in bold authoritative letters: ‘As an agent of the Special Office of Internal Security, you require no further authority to kill.’ Phi perused inquisitively through the book, ignoring the bookmark that dropped out as she loosened the pages. There were diagrams demonstrating the dismantling, maintenance and use of various guns. A few pages along, Phi translated a short passage describing how various items could be surgically implanted in an agent’s body and then retrieved, for the purpose of smuggling weapons or gadgets past a wary enemy, or to retain them when captured and searched. Phi got engrossed in a section describing various ways of manipulating people into doing what you wanted them to. An even later chapter explained how a SOIS agent should cultivate a network of informants in the area in which they worked.

Phi half suspected that some of her own clients were in fact SOIS agents seeking an extra layer of deniability between themselves and their dirty work. She recalled that she had once been contracted to steal the keys and disable the electronic security of the compound of a gang that had branched out from drug smuggling to robbing casinos, and eventually tried to take over the Strip entirely. Not a week later, the gang leader was dead, along with the vast majority of his men. The survivors described a single man, with unnaturally grey hair and wearing a glowing gold-and-blue jacket, who had perfectly anticipated every single one of the survivor’s late colleagues attempts to sneak up behind him, and could shoot a man right between the eyes with his own eyes closed. If anyone Phi had heard of was a candidate for being an SOIS agent, it was that man.

Or, was that actually true? Was there not another person who could easily be a SOIS agent?

Alice had all but admitted that she was some kind of government agent, and for some reason was entirely unwilling to say exactly which organisation she worked for. Phi decided to keep the manual for later. She was sure that the design on the front cover was the logo of SOIS; Alice’s reaction to it would confirm whether or not she was a SOIS agent.

 

Phi tucked the book under her arm to keep for later. As Phi stood up, Luna rushed over, pointing at the bottom of the lockbox.

“What about this, Phi?” Luna asked.

Phi looked down where Luna was pointed. She noticed the bookmark that had fallen out of the manual. Luna knelt down, picked it up, and held it closer to Phi’s face so that she could see it clearly. The bookmark had a pattern of coloured squares printed on it: two red, two green and two blue. As with the patterns of pips Dio had printed using the music box cylinder, Phi quickly realised that the coloured squares formed the same shape as the goal of the dice puzzle at the podium. Just as the music box cylinder had told them which numbers needed to be facing upwards, the bookmark told them which coloured dice needed to be rolled to each target area.

With both pieces of information, the final puzzle was easily solved. The trick, as Phi eagerly and proudly pointed out to the other two, was to find an algorithm by which a die could be moved while keeping the same number on the top surface. For Phi it was easy: first roll the die one square, so that the target number was on the side. Then the cube could be moved as far as she wanted and the number would stay in the same place on the side, ready to be returned to the top by a single extra move.

As soon as all the dice were in place, the puzzle vanished. The screen turned green, and a three-by-three grid displayed the safe password. Phi memorised it and quickly opened up the safe before she forgot it.

Phi collected several items from inside the safe. The first was a map, this time showing the lower floor. Phi could see that the rooms on this floor were arranged into four groups, corresponding to the three Chromatic Doors, red, green and blue, as well as another large room – presumably another warehouse – and other rooms behind it that couldn’t be accessed until one of the puzzles was solved. By tracing the path they had taken from the elevator to the archives, Phi saw that the exit door opened onto a long corridor that would lead them to the lower floor’s warehouse.

Phi also found two more Ambidex keycards, this time with a crescent moon symbol instead of the sun that had been on the first set of cards. As Phi held them up to examine them Dio snatched one out of her hand.

“Weren’t gonna try and keep that from me, were you?” he gloated, “I know how much you’d love to keep me from voting.”

Phi ignored him, trying to keep her composure over his inane taunting. Instead, she picked up the penultimate item in the safe. It was a sheet of paper, and as she unfolded it Phi guessed that there would be more instructions from Zero printed on it.

‘Hare are some more AB Game rules for you!’ it read, ‘Not voting is not an hoption. If both parties refuse to vote, then everybunny gets penalised! In other words, one person out of every colour group has to vote.’

Luna, who had been reading the rules over Phi’s shoulder, sighed. “We can’t all abstain.”

That was one possible way of getting everyone out gone down the drain. It seemed that Zero Sr. had anticipated everything they could try to escape the cold, relentless logic of the Prisoner’s Dilemma.

There was only one more item in the safe: the escape key. Since the safe was so close to the exit door, Phi only had to stand up in order to put the key in the lock by the exit door. Once the door was open, Phi strolled through it.

 

But it was only after Phi had walked several metres down the corridor that she realised that only Luna had followed her. Just as Phi had turned around to see what Dio was up to, she heard a noise: the unmistakable sound of the safe popping open. Phi ran back to the archives just in time to see Dio take a gold file out of the safe and slip it inside his coat.

Phi had almost entirely forgotten about the second safe password that Sigma had found during their first puzzle in the AB room, and the golden file it had provided them. Failing to find a similar password in the infirmary had done nothing to keep this second set of passwords in mind. But there it was, on the podium’s screen, another password, this time ringed in blue rather than green. Phi stared angrily at the screen, and then at Dio, furious at herself for missing the opportunity to read the information in the file.

“Now, now, Phi,” Dio said, wagging his finger mockingly, “Finder’s keepers!”

As Dio strolled away, whistling happily, Phi surveyed the archive. The collection of books there was a true treasure trove of knowledge; the SOIS manual Phi still carried was proof of that. But a disquieting anxiety in the back of her mind would continue to remind her that she had missed the most important information of all.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._


	9. Zero Escape 3 Foreshadowing

Phi chased Dio out of the archives, still seething over the loss of the documents from the gold file. She followed him down the winding corridor until she reached another warehouse, identical in shape to the one on the floor above but this time lacking the AB Rooms. In their place was a row of three more doors, glowing blindingly with white light. From their intense auras and the familiar-looking locks, Phi could only assume that they were Chromatic Doors: white Chromatic Doors.

Phi would have appreciated the chance to explore this new warehouse more thoroughly, but she saw Dio leaving quickly towards the shortcut back to the elevator. Phi would have to move quickly if she wanted to catch up with him. Phi pursued Dio down the shortcut. About halfway down, she encountered a door that didn’t open automatically as she approached. Instead, there was a small lever protruding from the left hand wall, which Phi had to yank down before the door would respond. Phi guessed that this door was designed to only be openable from this side, acting as a shortcut once the puzzles were completed but still funnelling players towards the puzzles beforehand.

Whatever its purpose, it had cost Phi precious seconds. Phi emerged from the blue door back into the elevator waiting room to see the elevator doors closing between her and Dio’s snide grin. Phi slammed her hand onto the elevator call button, but she still had to wait for the elevator to finish carrying Dio to the upper floor before it returned. She had been too late.

 

Eventually, Phi reached the upper floor as well. She was still intent on pursuing Dio back to the AB Rooms; the quickest route there went through the lounge and out through the magenta door. But as Phi approached the lounge door she came upon a disturbing sight. Luna, who had left the archives much more promptly than Phi and Dio had, was knelt down by the corner of the corridor and cradling Quark’s limp body in her arms. Behind her stood K, and he was directing all his concerned attention at Alice, who was leaning against the wall.

As Phi got closer she saw exactly why K was so concerned. Alice’s expression was… troubling. Indeed, it seemed as though she was incapable of responding to any stimulus at all, her face remaining devoid of any recognition of Phi’s approach.

“The hell happened here?” Phi asked.

It was K who answered first. “Alice and I were returning from the laboratory with Quark when Alice froze suddenly. We had intended to return Quark to the infirmary, but, ah, I was unable to carry both of them so I was forced to remain here until someone else arrived to help.”

“Any idea what happened to her?” Phi asked.

“I’m not sure,” Luna replied, “I’ll be able to get a better look once we get to the infirmary. Can you give me a hand with Quark, please?”

Phi and Luna carried Quark carefully back to the infirmary, while K followed behind them, guiding Alice’s lethargic footsteps. Luna placed Quark onto one of the beds and arranged him so that he would be comfortable, then both Luna and Phi turned around to see K entering with Alice. As they arrived an announcement played through the speakers. “An Ambidex Gate has been opened. Forty five minutes remain until Ambidex polling closes.” That must have been Dio opening up one of the AB Rooms with the card he acquired in the archives.

The announcement seemed to snap Alice out of her daze; colour and purpose rushed back into her face. With a quick, sharp strike, Alice brushed K’s gauntleted hand away from her shoulder. “Get your hands off me!” she snapped. Alice didn’t acknowledge her previous condition at all, instead striding over to inspect Quark.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Alice?” Luna asked worriedly.

Alice sighed, and then gestured at her face. “Of course I’m okay! Look at me. Could anyone who looks as perfect as this possibly have anything wrong with them?” Phi didn’t quite accept Alice’s argument, but before she could comment Alice changed the subject. “Anyway, we haven’t told you the good news yet. We found a bottle of Axelavir in the laboratory.”

Yes! It seemed that Quark would survive after all. Phi watched as Alice passed the bottle of purple liquid over to Luna. Luna ran some tests on the chemical inside using the ADAM, which confirmed that it was indeed the antiviral Axelavir. Once she was satisfied, Luna prepared the vial for injection, placing it inside one of the many empty injection guns that could be found in the infirmary.

K spoke up. “I believe it would be appropriate for me to return to the warehouse. It is likely that Tenmyouji will return there first, so someone should be there to tell him about Quark when he arrives.” Saying that, he left in the direction of the yellow door.

Once K had left, Luna injected Quark with the Axelavir. Phi had half expected some sort of obvious, miraculous transformation as the cure took hold, but her rational self reminded her that even a perfect cure took time to spread throughout the body and take effect. Luna’s calm demeanour reassured her that the Axelavir was working. Quark had been saved.

 

Seeing Alice active once more – a very distinct change compared to how she’d been when Phi had first reached the upper floor – reminded Phi of the SOIS manual she had found in the archive. She still intended to spring it on Alice and gauge her reaction; doing so was her best chance to uncover whatever secret Alice had been hiding. Even if Alice couldn’t read the Latin that the manual was written in, she would surely recognise the acronym of the organisation and the embellished logo, and Phi would catch that recognition. The only question was when to spring the trap. If the descriptions in the book were anything to go by, Alice would be highly trained in combat. Phi would need enough people around – and not distracted by anything else – that Alice wouldn’t be tempted to protect her secret with violence. Then, and only then, would Phi reveal the manual.

Before Phi could decide how to go about it, Tenmyouji entered frantically. “Quark!” he roared, “How’s Quark?!”

Luna greeted him with a calm smile. “Don’t worry, Tenmyouji. We’ve just injected the Axelavir…” – Tenmyouji broke down with joy as Luna showed him the emptied vial – “… so he should be fine now. It might take some time for him to recover fully, but the worst is over.”

As Tenmyouji gratefully held Quark, Sigma and Clover entered from the same direction, obviously having followed Tenmyouji. They gathered round him and checked Quark for themselves, then sighed with relief. Almost instinctively, everyone backed away to give Tenmyouji room.

Once Tenmyouji had calmed down, he turned to Alice with a bowed head. “Alice, you and K… I don’t know what to say other than ‘Thanks.’ You saved his life. I don’t know the words to tell you how much that means to me.”

Alice nodded. “It was nothing. Really. We just happened to be the ones who headed through the red door.” Alice paused, looking towards the entrance door. “Well, we should get back and tell K and Dio how Quark’s doing. K will want to know, at the very least.”

 

Sigma nodded and acquiesced. He was halfway to the door when Tenmyouji gasped, an intense expression on his face.

“Of course! Sigma, that memory card we found?”

“This thing?” Sigma pulled a large blue memory card out of his pocket. For the benefit of the others, he showed it around and explained, “This was in the safe in the pressure exchange chamber. I didn’t know what to do with it so I took it with us.”

“Yeah, right,” Tenmyouji continued, “I think I know how we can take a look at what’s on it. I think there was a memory card just like it that we used to solve a puzzle in here.” Tenmyouji gestured around the infirmary.

Now that Tenmyouji had said it, this new memory card did look familiar. Phi remembered placing a similar memory card into the computer monitor above the desk. While the contents of that memory card had been… inane… she hoped that this one would prove more informative. “Yeah, he’s right. There’s a slot in the side of the screen,” Phi said, pointing at the arrows that directed attention to the memory card slot.

Sigma smoothly placed the memory card into position. Once it was fully inserted, the screen activated. The image showed a jerkily fluctuating waveform on a green background.

“Is there an audio file on here?” Luna asked. From the image on the screen, she was probably right. “Why don’t we turn the volume up a bit?”

Luna found the controls to do so. As she turned the volume up, a crackly male voice became audible.

 

“This is Control. How’s it going over there? Bet you missed the sound of my voice, huh? Well, I gotta be honest; it’s getting pretty lonely over here too. Feeling kinda like howling at the moon, lone wolf style. Speaking of which, I’m looking at it right now and the old girl is beautiful. Tonight’s that eclipse, remember? What a way to end 2028. The moon’s this amazing red. If it wasn’t so beautiful, it’d be kind of ominous. Wish you guys could see it too, but… you’re supposed to be on Mars, aren’t you? So uh, how are Phobos and Diemos looking right now? Sure hope I’ll get to look at them someday too. Anyway, over.”

There was a tense pause, punctuated only by the crackling of static. Phi almost thought the recording was over, when the man who had called himself ‘Control’ spoke again.

“Hey, something wrong? Talk to me, guys. Over.”

Another silent pause.

“What, you gonna play hard to get ’cause we haven’t talked in so long? Enough jokes, alright? Knock it off. Where are you guys? Over.”

Then Control’s voice faded slightly, as if he was talking away from the microphone to someone in the same room. “Is there something wrong with the radio…? You’re saying everything’s green? Well then, what the hell’s going on here?! Why aren’t they responding? The video feed’s online; look, you can see all nine of them, three at each table.

“What?! Someone’s hacked our feed?! What do you mean, this isn’t live? An old clip on repeat? Who would do that?! What in the hell is happening here…”

Now Control sounded frantic. In between his words they could hear the aftereffects of his breath on the microphone, as if he was leaning in far too close and shouting hoarsely into it. “This is Control, I repeat, this is Control! Please come in. I’m asking you to respond!”

It was only after an agonising silence that another voice entered the channel. This one was a woman, and her voice cracked not only because of the effects of low-fidelity recording: she was having great difficulty even speaking at all. “This is… Mars Mission.”

“Thank God!” Control said, “You really had me worried there. What happened?”

Eventually, the woman responded. “Six of us… are dead. Counting myself, there are only three left. They were killed. I-I guess you could say I killed them. Not just them. Not just these six. All of them… All six billion… Soon I will have killed six billion people.” After those horrifying words, the woman fell silent.

“Are you there?!” Control roared, “Respond! Damnit… This is Control, I repeat, this is Control! We have an emergency situation! We have an unconfirmed report of six dead test subjects…”

 

There the recording faded out and ended. There were shocked expressions all round as the players tried to make sense of what they had heard. Out of all the confused faces, only one person seemed to know the context for what had happened.

Tenmyouji. “Yeah, I think I know what that was. It’s probably a transmission from the Mars Mission test site. Did you know that the government is developing spaceships with particle annihilation engines? These ships would be able to get humans to Mars a lot faster than old chemical rockets. But they don’t want to just send a manned Mars mission off half-cocked. That was the idea behind this test.

“They built a whole complex on this old Air Force base in Nevada. The idea was that it would be a simulation of a manned mission to Mars, with a crew of nine men and women. They’d monitor the whole thing and use that data to plan the real mission. That must have been a transmission from the project.”

None of this was familiar to Phi. She observed everyone’s faces for any sign of recognition, but if anyone did they were hiding it far too well. Sigma seemed the most surprised; his expression was an exaggerated, almost anime-esque, gasp. While Luna’s emotions were muted compared to Sigma’s, her surprise was equally genuine. In her puzzlement, Clover turned to Alice, her eyes imploring for guidance. Then Phi looked at Alice…

Alice spoke up, asking, “This is all very interesting, but how exactly do you know about this?”

It sounded natural enough, but somehow Phi perceived it as being slightly forced: a little bit too desperate to show that Alice didn’t know anything. Even if the strain in Alice’s voice was only in Phi’s imagination, the fact that Alice had spoken the moment Phi’s gaze shifted to her was suggestive. Phi already suspected Alice of having ties to government agencies; if that was correct it would be unsurprising for Alice to already have knowledge of secret government projects like this Mars mission simulation.

If it weren’t for Tenmyouji still talking, this would be the ideal opportunity to unveil and use the SOIS manual.

“I was involved with the project,” Tenmyouji answered Alice’s question, “The intent was to create as accurate a simulation as possible. That meant we’d need to simulate the radio silence we’d experience during the conjunction: the moment when Mars and Earth were on opposite sides of the sun. Unless we had some sort of relay, there’d be a period of time where we wouldn’t be able to communicate with each other. What we heard on that card was when the simulated conjunction was scheduled to end.”

Luna whimpered. “So that’s when they died.”

Tenmyouji shook his head. “No, we don’t know that. They could have died long before that conversation. All we know is that’s when it was discovered.”

“Wait! What did she mean by what she said?” Sigma asked, “You know, about how she hadn’t just killed six people… she said six billion. What the heck did she mean by that?”

“Just what the hell happened there?!” Alice also asked.

Tenmyouji took a minute to gather his thoughts. When he was ready, he explained, “The truth is there’s a chance a virus escaped from the test site. Yeah, Radical-6.” Fending off a barrage of questions, Tenmyouji added, “I’m just telling you what I know, okay? Nobody’s sure how Radical-6 got there in the first place, but… One of the subjects might have been infected when they entered, or the virus itself might have been an intentional part of the simulation. The test site deaths became the index cases for a pandemic.

“Anyway, prevailing wisdom says it got out somehow, and once it was out it spread pretty quick. All across the planet.”

“It killed six billion people?!” Phi asked sharply.

Tenmyouji sighed morbidly. “Not directly. Only a third or so of those deaths were directly caused by Radical-6. The other four billion died from the collapse caused by the panic and the deaths of that first third. The whole world just… fell apart.”

 

Everyone fell into silence. If Tenmyouji was telling the truth, then their worst fears had been confirmed. There was so much more they needed to ask him, if they were going to get a grasp of the situation. But they wouldn’t get the chance.

“Ten minutes remain until Ambidex Game Polling closes,” came the reminder of the deadline.

“We’re out of time,” Tenmyouji said, dismissing any further discussion, “I’d need more than ten minutes to explain everything. Half-assing it is just going to make you more confused. Now get moving.”

Despite Tenmyouji’s brusque tone, he was right. Luna stayed to watch over Quark – leaving the voting for their pair down to Phi – but the other five of them quickly returned to the AB rooms. K had waited to allow Alice the chance to join him in the AB Room and also to find out how Quark was recovering, but Dio had already entered and closed his AB Room. That was tricky. Phi would have preferred the chance to gauge Dio’s mood and see if there was any chance he’d vote ally. It was too late for that now.

Now that everyone who was going to vote was present, everyone entered their AB Rooms. Once the door closed behind her, Phi tried to collect her thoughts. So much had happened since she had solved the archives puzzle, and Phi was worried that if she didn’t take a moment to comprehend it all any opportunities she might have would slip away.

She still hadn’t managed to retrieve that golden file from Dio. She had yet to find out the subject of that file, and whether Dio was keeping it from her because it was vitally important or just out of spite, or both.

She had still got to find the perfect moment to spring the SOIS manual on Alice. Until she did so, she’d have no idea what Alice knew or how she knew it.

And finally, this last revelation from Tenmyouji. Had the world outside really ended as he claimed? There was nothing Phi could do about it right now, but the very idea gnawed away at her mind.

But all that would have to wait until Phi had entered her vote. Only once the AB Room doors had unlocked could anything outside the AB Game be accomplished. For this round of the AB Game Phi’s only sane choice was obvious. Phi’s choice was…

 

 **Choice:**  
**A)     Ally  
** **B)     Betray**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Apparently Zero Escape 3: Zero Time Dilemma has been announced._  
_First thought: Yay!!! :-)_  
_Second thought: I really really hope nothing from Empty Virtue or the other fanfics I've got planned gets contradicted._ :-/  
_Definitely looking forward to it._


	10. Whoops! 1: Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally...

Phi looked at the screen in the AB Room. The choice she had to make was obvious.

_Ally._

What?! That was wrong. In her mind, Phi reminded herself of all the reasons why she had to vote ‘Betray’. Dio was obviously going to betray her; hell, the reason why she’d chosen to go with Dio through the green door was to prevent him betraying anyone else. She and Luna were on only one bracelet point. If she didn’t vote betray, they were going to die…

_Ally. Ally Ally Ally._

The voice whispered that word again inside her mind. Phi had no idea why it was so insistent. Why? Why was there some part of her intent on making that choice? Phi focused, trying to quell that suicidal suggestion.

_Ally!_

The voice roared. It roared.

 

_Ally_ _Ally_ _Ally_ _Ally Ally Ally_ _Ally Ally Ally_ _Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally_ _Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally_ _Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally_ _Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally_ _Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally_ _Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally Ally_

Phi’s finger streaked forward involuntarily. By the time she had regained control of herself, Phi had already voted ‘Ally’.

Why?! Why had she voted ‘Ally’? How could there possibly be some part of her that would want to do something so completely suicidal…

Suicidal. Of course. She was infected with Radical-6.

Phi fell backwards, overcome by her distress. She was infected with Radical-6. Of course she was. Quark had been, and this was a disease that had supposedly been infective enough to sweep over the entire world in less than a week. She had been in Quark’s proximity for hours, even carried him at one point; of course she was infected.

Maybe it was for the best that she was about to die. That way she wouldn’t infect anyone else.

 

The doors opened and Phi trudged out. She watched glumly as the other players gathered around the screen where the results would be displayed. There was a chance – a small chance – that Dio had voted to ally instead, that she wouldn’t die right here. Phi glanced imploringly at Dio’s face, examining for any hint of what he might have chosen.

Dio’s smirk told her the answer even before the results display did.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

Alice                                1                            Ally                         +2                           3  
K                                     6                                                           +2                           8

Quark                              6                            Ally                         +2                           8

 

Sigma                              1                            Ally                         +2                           3  
Clover                              6                                                          +2                           8

Tenmyouji                       6                            Ally                         +2                           8

 

Phi                                   1                           Ally                          -2                           -1  
Luna                                1                                                           -2                           -1

Dio                                  6                          Betray                       +3                            9

 

There was a sharp jab in Phi’s wrist as the bracelet activated. She struggled to stay upright as the Soporil Beta spread through her blood. Her eyes misted over and struggled to focus, so that she could barely see the scene before her.

“Phi!” Sigma shouted, rushing over to support her, “Why, Phi? Godamnit, why?!” Sigma could barely keep her up, and she sunk to her knees in his arms.

Phi tried to warn him, to warn him that they were all infected with Radical-6. But her voice died in her throat as her vocal chords gave way under the seductive pressure of the anaesthetic. She could only watch, as Dio – now on nine points and not in any way caring about the lives he’d taken to get there – skipped away towards the Number Nine Door.

“Heh. I never thought getting out would be so easy. Thanks a lot, Phi,” Dio said as he approached the lever that would open the door and end the game.

Alice and K charged towards Dio. If they were quick enough, they might be able to stop Dio in time… but Phi couldn’t care about that any more. Whatever the result, she would die. Her mind was already going dark. She couldn’t see anything anymore.

Working by feel, Phi reached her hand up to Sigma’s face. This was her last opportunity, her last chance in life for anything resembling human contact. But even her sense of touch failed, leaving her mind completely cut off from the world around.

 

There, on the floor of the AB Room and surrounded by the other players, cradled in Sigma’s arms, Phi died alone.

 

**Game Over…**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Here's our first bad end. That means that for the next chapter, we'll need to go back and redo one of our choices so far. Leave a comment if you have a preference; barring any requests I'll probably continue by changing this last AB vote to 'Betray' and carry on towards the good end of this route._


	11. Tetraphobia

Phi looked at the screen in the AB Room and made the obvious choice. With a firm smile on her face, she pressed ‘Betray’.

I mean, seriously?! In what sort of crazy alternate universe could she have possibly done anything else?

Compared to everyone else, Phi must have made her choice quite quickly, since the AB Gates didn’t open immediately upon her vote being locked in. Phi took the time to think about what she would do once she was released. Of course, they would first have to take care of the details of the Nonary Game – points earned from the Ambidex Game, which players would be pairs and solos for the next round, etc. – but a quick check of her bracelet confirmed that even after that there would be about an hour to wait before the white Chromatic Doors opened: plenty of time to achieve some other objective while waiting.

The most salient goal was to press Tenmyouji for more information about the recording from the Mars Mission Test, his explanation of which had been cut off by the Ambidex Game. Phi expected that Tenmyouji would immediately return to the infirmary, where he should find Quark nearly recovered. That ought to put him in a good mood. Phi guessed that he would be willing to continue where he’d left off.

The thing was, of course, that almost everyone had heard the start of Tenmyouji’s explanation, which meant that people would have the same idea. In particular, Sigma – who had been playing against Tenmyouji in this AB Game and who, in order to balance the risks of either his opponent Tenmyouji or his partner Clover escaping, would be practically forced to aim for the result in which both sides allied – would certainly be talking to Tenmyouji after the results were announced. Phi trusted Sigma to ask about the Mars Mission; she could find out the details from him at any time.

Much more efficient would be to do something that only she could do, to aim towards some goal that only she knew about. One idea was to continue trying to retrieve the archive’s gold file from Dio. Phi quickly dismissed that idea. With the binder ensconced in Dio’s longcoat, it would take force to take it from him. Phi doubted that she’d be able to beat Dio cleanly, and it was too much of a risk to take for information that may be useless.

A much better idea was to use this time to challenge Alice with the SOIS manual. In fact, the period of time shortly after the AB Game finished would be the perfect opportunity to confront her: almost everyone else would be present to witness it, and with only a small set list of Nonary Game details to take care of first it would be easy for Phi to wrest control of the conversation afterwards and direct it in her intended direction.

Phi’s mind was set. When the AB Game finished, she would be ready.

 

When the doors opened, Phi quickly exited the AB Room and took stock of the situation. All of the players present quickly gathered around the screen where the results would be displayed. Phi watched as Alice sluggishly joined the back of the group; Phi fell in behind so as to keep Alice firmly in her sights. This way, Alice wouldn’t be able to slip away once the results were shown. For now, however, everyone was riveted by the arrival of the results.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

Alice                               1                             Ally                         +2                           3  
K                                     6                                                           +2                           8

Quark                              6                            Ally                         +2                           8

 

Sigma                              1                            Ally                         +2                           3  
Clover                              6                                                          +2                           8

Tenmyouji                       6                            Ally                         +2                           8

 

Phi                                   1                          Betray                        0                             1  
Luna                                 1                                                           0                             1

Dio                                   6                         Betray                         0                             6

 

The Ambidex Game had gone mostly as Phi had expected, and though Phi felt a twinge of unease at the fact that both other trios had been able to increase their score while Phi hadn’t, she had been prepared for that since choosing to take Dio through the green door. Phi inched closer to Alice, ready to make her move.

Suddenly, Dio appeared right in front of her. Leaning right in towards her face, he sneered. “Let’s get your whining over with,” he said, before shifting his voice into a ridiculous falsetto, “Let me guess: ‘Oh, why did you betray me, Dio? If only we’d all allied, we’d all get to live in a perfect fluffy world of hugs and bunnies!’ Some bullshit like that, right?” Dio glanced over the screen that until recently had been the home of Zero Jr.’s mouse-like avatar, then chuckled. “Well, maybe not bunnies…” he added. Phi had no idea what he meant by that, but successfully kept any hint of her misunderstanding from her expression.

Instead, Phi coldly stated, “You tried to kill me and Luna. Can’t say I’m surprised.”

Dio scoffed. “Oh, don’t give me that. You knew exactly what I was doing. I knew you weren’t stupid enough to pick ‘Ally’. You’d defend yourself with ‘Betray’, just like I would.”

Believing his point made, Dio backed off. Phi desperately looked past Dio, trying to reacquire sight of Alice. When Phi saw that Alice wasn’t where she had been before Dio accosted her, she spun around, scanning the room for any sign of her. But it was futile. In the short moment when Phi had lost sight of her, Alice had disappeared.

“Wait. Where the hell did Alice go?” Phi asked.

It was K who answered – unsurprising, since K had been Alice’s partner – “She left – somewhat unsteadily – in the direction of the cyan door.”

“She left the warehouse?”

“Indeed,” K said, “There was little reason for either of us to stay long. Our results were not in doubt.”

“Yeah, it’s not like Quark was going to betray you.”

Dio butted in, a snide smirk distorting his mouth. “And you two still chose ‘Ally’? Man… what a pair of bleeding hearts.”

K shrugged, his suit of armour accentuating the motion. “If you say so. Being mocked for my compassion is a small price to pay for retaining my humanity.”

Clover, now disengaged from talking to Sigma and Tenmyouji, was also wondering where Alice had disappeared to. K re-explained everything he had already said for Clover’s benefit, then added, “While we were in the AB Room, she mentioned being quite tired. Perhaps she went to one of the cabins in the crew quarters to rest?”

Clover sighed. “Oh. Well, I guess that would make sense…” She didn’t sound convinced, though. Looking at Clover’s expression, Phi could tell that Clover thought that being ‘quite tired’ wasn’t something that would slow Alice down; from Phi’s short time knowing Alice, she agreed.

 

Phi’s train of thought was interrupted by the sudden closing of all six AB Rooms. Once all the doors had slammed shut, an announcement explained the next round. “Round three of the Ambidex Game will be the Star Round. Star keys are required to open the gates. There is no set limit on usage of the star keys. The Ambidex Gates can be opened as many times as the players wish to open them.”

All six players remaining in the warehouse mulled over this announcement. It seemed there would only be one more round of puzzles. That was confirmed by the map of the lower floor they’d found in the archive’s safe: there were only a few rooms behind the white Chromatic Doors, and the paths leading out of them returned to already explored areas.

“Hey, didn’t Zero Jr. say something about something happening when the AB gates closed?” Dio asked.

Of course! All their bracelets should have changed, to prepare them for the next round. Phi quickly examined hers. She was still a pair, this time magenta. To her surprise, the three solos, Sigma, K and Dio, were primary colours, being blue, red and green respectively. However, upon confirming that both of the other pairs present also had secondary colours – Tenmyouji was yellow, while Clover was cyan – it began to make sense. There was only one possible way for them to become teams to get through the white Chromatic Doors:

Phi and her unknown partner would go with Dio.

Tenmyouji and his unknown partner would go with Sigma.

Clover and her unknown partner would go with K.

Phi was seriously annoyed that she’d ended up opposite Dio again. When she’d chosen to take him during the previous round, she had expected it to only be a temporary setback; now, she was forced the play him in the next Ambidex Game, and who knows how many times thereafter.

 

“Alright, what now?” Dio changed the subject, “We’ve got plenty of time until those white doors open.”

“Yeah, about an hour it looks like,” Sigma replied.

Tenmyouji’s decision was immediate, and obvious to everyone. “Do I really need to say it?” He turned away and headed towards the yellow door.

“The infirmary, right?” Sigma said, “You’re going to go check on Quark. I’ll come with you.”

Clover piped up, “I’m gonna go find Alice!”

Clover’s insistent words reminded Phi of what she had intended before Alice had disappeared. Phi mulled the idea over in her head. It was still possible. Even though it wasn’t the perfect scenario Phi had imagined, confronting Alice shortly after the Ambidex Game finished, it was still possible. Most of the other players would be gathering in the infirmary to check on Quark; if Phi could find Alice and get her there under any pretext – Alice was one of the people who found the Axelavir for Quark, so she should want to go and see Quark wake up, right? – she could spring the trap there.

“Of course,” Phi replied to Clover, “I’ll come with you, then.”

Clover shrugged discontentedly, but didn’t say anything else, instead spinning around on the balls of her feet and striding away towards the cyan door, following the path K had told them Alice had taken. Phi had to exert herself strenuously to keep up with Clover’s hurried steps, but managed to keep only a couple of steps behind her, passing through the cyan door only moments behind and before it closed again.

It was there, in between the cyan Chromatic Door and its secondary door, that Phi almost ran into Clover, who had stopped and turned around to glare at Phi suspiciously. “Why are you following me, Phi? What are you up to?”

Phi tried to channel as much innocence as possible. “Huh? I’m just here to help you find Alice. That’s important, isn’t it? I’m worried about her condition; from K’s description, she didn’t sound very well.”

Clover tilted her head to one side incredulously and scratched the side of her lip. “I don’t believe you. You’re up to something. I can see it, all over your face.”

Clover was more perceptive than Phi had expected, but she didn’t let her façade slip any further. “Nothing’s up. Now let’s go and find Alice like we’re supposed to be doing.”

Clover squinted at her. Then, just as Phi became worried that her plan was going nowhere, Clover sighed. “Whatever.” Clover turned away and continued into the crew quarters.

That had been close. If Clover got any more suspicious, then she might refuse to let Phi search with her, or tell Alice when they found her; both would cause Phi’s plan to unravel. Phi trailed numbly after Clover, watching disinterestedly as Clover rummaged through the various rooms in the crew quarters, and visualising what she would do once they finally got Alice back to the infirmary.

First, Phi would allow a brief, polite moment to let Alice check on Quark. That would get her distracted. Then, the SOIS manual would come out. Phi imagined herself approaching Alice from an oblique angle: far enough behind her so that Alice didn’t see her coming, yet out to the side so it didn’t appear as though Phi was maliciously sneaking up on her – that would intensify Clover’s suspicions, and could cause her to warn Alice too early. Phi would open up the manual to the inside of the front cover, revealing the bold embossed logo. The image would elicit a far greater reaction than the text, especially if Alice didn’t read Latin.

When the moment was right, Phi would strike. As swiftly and flagrantly as she was capable of, she would thrust the open SOIS manual under Alice’s eyes. What she would do next depended on how severely Alice responded to the surprise. Ideally, the shock would break Alice’s cover entirely; then Phi’s task would be to extract as much information as possible. More likely, Alice would maintain her composure, and Phi would have to keep pressing to break Alice’s defence down completely. Either way, Phi would have to improvise, but that was no problem. She already knew that improvisation was something she was very capable of.

Phi grasped the SOIS manual tighter, confidently anticipating the moment when it would all come together, when she would finally get to the bottom of this mystery, when…

Clover screamed.

 

Alice was dead. Her body was slumped against the far wall of one of the bedrooms. A knife was embedded in her chest, straight through her heart. Her bracelet was off, lying inert by her wrist. Phi was about to approach and examine the body when Clover shoved her viciously against the door frame.

“You! You knew she was dead! That’s why you followed me, isn’t it?!”

Phi, who was focused only on resisting the jabbing metal of the door frame in the small of her back, could only shake her head in response.

“Stop lying!” Clover roared, “I knew you were up to something! I shouldn’t have trusted you. I shouldn’t have trusted any of you. You killed her. One of you bastards killed her!”

Clover grasp slackened slightly, and Phi was able to twist away from it. She broke Clover’s grip and stepped backwards, opening up a buffer zone in between them. Once she was sure Clover wasn’t going to immediately attack again, Phi spoke. “One of us… one of us should fetch the others. They need to see this.”

Clover snorted. “Yeah. Get all of them here. I’m gonna find out which one of them did it. Then I’ll show them. I’ll show them.”

Phi backed away cautiously, but Clover didn’t react; instead she was rooted to the spot: a vigilant and furious guard of the room where Alice’s body lay. Once Phi was sure she was safe, she turned away, racing out of the crew quarters.

 

It didn’t take long for Phi to find everyone and direct them towards the crew quarters; even so, her voice caught in her throat and she wasn’t able to describe what they’d find when they arrived. And so, when finally arriving back at the crew quarters with K – who had headed down to the lower floor and thus had been the hardest for Phi to find – she found everyone standing dumbstruck by the sight of Alice dead. Clover stood exactly where she had been when Phi had left, glaring vengefully at each new arrival.

“Who… who did this?” Clover growled.

No-one answered. No-one could answer. To be the first to speak was to be the first to be destroyed by Clover’s indiscriminate wrath.

“Say something! Answer me!”

Luna spoke up timidly, her voice trembling over every syllable. “P-Please Clover, calm down… We don’t even know if she was killed…”

“Then what happened? An accident?!” Clover’s sarcasm was infused with acidic hatred. “You think a knife just dropped from the ceiling and stabbed her?”

When Dio muttered, “Cool it, kid,” Clover’s boiling rage exploded.

“You did it, didn’t you?!” When Dio didn’t respond, Clover pointed out her finger and swept it across the room with a vigorous slashing motion. “Then who did it? Who killed her?!”

“Clover, even if we assume that she was murdered,” K said calmly, “that doesn’t necessarily mean that the killer was one of us, does it?”

That attempt to calm Clover down only drew her attention to K. “You went into the AB Room with Alice during the last round, didn’t you? Something happened in there, didn’t it?”

K bowed his head. “No, nothing happened.”

Clover yelled, “Don’t lie to me! There’s no way Alice would just run off like that! She wouldn’t leave me! Something _happened_! If she was going to leave, she’d tell me.”

Phi joined in. “Don’t you think just assuming Alice was murdered is jumping the gun a bit? You were with almost everyone else for the time following the AB Game, so you know we all have alibis…”

“How can you look at her and say that?! Knives don’t just stab people by themselves.” Then, a shadow passed over Clover’s face. “Oh, I see… I see… I get it now. You’re all in on it, aren’t you? It wasn’t just one killer… it was six! No wonder you’re all so anxious to say this wasn’t a murder.”

“Clover, please, just settle down,” Tenmyouji said.

Clover folded her arms defensively. “Fine. Show me some proof, then.” Clovers hands curled into tight fists as she declared her ultimatum. “Prove to me in ten seconds that you didn’t murder my friend… Or I’m gonna kill every last one of you bastards!”

Looking at Clover’s expression, Phi could believe she’d try. Clover might even succeed: she had manoeuvred herself closest to Alice’s body. If she chose to grab the knife from Alice’s chest she could do a lot of damage. Even the smallest of knife wounds could be deadly; they were debilitating and could cause a surprising amount of blood loss.

“Nine, eight, seven…”

They would probably be able to restrain Clover if she attacked. At least, Phi hoped they would be able to. K, with his armour, would be completely protected from anything Clover could attempt. The question was: what then? Even if they sedated Clover with Soporil, she could wake up at any time; she would be a danger to everyone around her.

“Six, five, four…”

There had to be some way to prove to Clover that the other players weren’t to blame or, at the very least, find the culprit. The problem was that without knowing how Alice had died, there was no way to direct their search for the evidence needed. If there was a way out, Phi couldn’t think of it.

“Three, two, one…”

 

Just as Clover started to move, Sigma gasped.

“The journal!” Phi turned to see Sigma suddenly covered in a sheen of cold sweat. Despite his apparent discomfort, he leapt forward, grabbing Clover around the wrist. “Clover, listen to me,” he ordered boldly, “Alice wasn’t killed. Nobody murdered her. She… took her own life.”

Clover shook his hand away from her wrist. “Wh-What? No… No, there’s no way she’d do that! You’re lying. This is all a lie! It has to be.” Clover frowned at Sigma quizzically. “If you’re saying she killed herself, then why did she do it? Why would Alice do it?”

Sigma sighed. “She… probably didn’t have a reason. She’d been infected with Radical-6. That’s what killed her. And I can prove it.” As Clover glared at him in disbelief, Sigma turned towards K. “There was a journal in the lab, wasn’t there?” he asked, “It would have been in the safe.”

“Ah, well, Alice would have it, then,” K replied.

Sigma pointed towards Alice’s dead body. “Phi, can you…? I don’t feel right touching a dead woman’s body.”

Phi approached Alice’s corpse, wondering what the hell Sigma was trying to do. Phi gave the body only a cursory search, not believing that Sigma could possibly know what he claimed to, but after only a moment Phi’s hand brushed across the hard edge of a book, concealed beneath Alice’s jacket. She drew it out: it was a thick, hidebound book, its brown surface mottled with age and use.

How the hell had Sigma known it would be there?! He hadn’t been anywhere near the laboratory; even if he had, Alice had taken the journal long before he could have got there and she hadn’t told anyone. And despite that, Sigma had known it was there.

“You read it,” Sigma commanded, “It’s in Latin. I can’t make heads nor tails of it.”

Phi raised her eyebrow inquisitively in Sigma’s direction, but did as asked. The book was indeed in Latin. Unfortunately, the words she did recognise were interspersed among much more obscure words – probably technical terms and scientific words, judging from the tables of figures also printed in the journal – so Phi was incapable of even getting started on a translation. “Translating this is impossible. It’s full of words I’ve never heard before; I can barely understand any…”

Sigma interrupted her, “Turn to page 216.”

When Phi turned to that page, she saw that that page did have fewer unknown words, so Phi was able to recognise more of it. She recognised the writer: it was the same person who had written most of the Latin books in the archives. Unfortunately, as with those books, the Latin in the journal was horrifically amateurish. Phi could have translated it… with time and a dictionary.

Unfortunately, those were two things she didn’t have. Clover was becoming increasingly frustrated with the delay. Phi could see Clover preparing to count down to her ultimatum once more, the sound of each number playing across her lips. Perhaps Phi should just lie, making up something and attributing it to the journal to match Sigma’s claim? No, the moment she thought of that Clover glared at her suspiciously; as before, Clover had seen right through her. If it was going to satisfy Clover, what she read had to be the truth.

They were so close! Phi was sure the words on the page would prove that Alice committed suicide; at least one of the words was ‘suicide’, the same in Latin as it was in English. But she couldn’t translate it. The opportunity was so close, and she couldn’t translate it.

 

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_We've reached another Plot Lock: **Plot Lock 5: Latin or Die.**_ _Once again, we'll need to go back in time and decide where to start off again. We have three choices:_  
_1) Go back to the second choice of Chromatic Door (chapter 7) and choose instead to take Quark through the Blue Door._  
_2) Go back to the first choice of Chromatic Door (chapter 2) and choose to take Luna through the Magenta Door._  
_3) Go back to the first choice of Chromatic Door (chapter 2) and choose to take Alice through the Cyan Door._ _  
_

_Writing this chapter made me feel like one of those characters in a time travel story who learns they just made a stable time loop. I mean, I made my plan for this route based on the fact that this is the one time where Clover gets suspicious enough about Alice's death to cause a Plot Lock, I throw some stuff into the archives for foreshadowing, and then, just by having Phi respond naturally and without explicitly intending to, I end up having Phi's actions cause Clover's suspicion and the Plot Lock 'in the first place'. I was so amazed when it worked out!_


	12. Luna has Read the Walkthrough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After reaching a Plot Lock, we restart here. This chapter follows chapter 7: for her choice of Chromatic Door, Phi chooses to take Quark through the blue door instead of taking Dio through the green door.

“I vote for option B,” Phi stated with certainty. Seeing Tenmyouji looking nervously at the boy he held in his arms, Phi continued, “It’s for the best if I take Quark. That way, if his condition worsens, Luna will be right there to tend him.” That seemed to mollify the old man.

“Sure,” Sigma said. As Phi had expected, Sigma immediately agreed with her, though he did so with trepidation. “I’ll take Dio. That means the red door for us.”

“See? Someone likes me,” Dio said smugly.

Sigma sighed. “Well, I wouldn’t say ‘like’… Whatever. Clover, are you okay with this?” Sigma asked his partner.

“Well, I don’t really trust him, but if Alice really wants to go with option B…” Clover glanced over, an appeal for Alice to settle her nerves.

When Alice nodded, everything was settled. Tenmyouji passed Quark over to Luna grudgingly and retreated to the green door to join Alice and K. Phi helped Luna carry the unconscious child over to the blue door and made sure that he was entirely inside the threshold. She was just in time; the door crashed down moments after Quark was safely inside.

Once the three of them had been scanned and the secondary door opened, Phi marched down the corridor, saying, “We need to solve this as quickly as possible, get Quark back to the infirmary,” to Luna.

The corridor twisted wildly, first taking Phi to the left and then to right, but Phi eventually reached the end: a small round hub with three locked doors, each bearing a lock box similar to that of the Chromatic Doors. The only other item in the room was a lever similar to that next to the Number Nine Door. It was clear they were intended to pull it; in her haste to open up a route back to the infirmary, Phi did so immediately. The door to the right opened, momentarily displaying a holographic plaque reading ‘Rec Room’, and Phi allowed Luna – still carrying Quark – in first.

“Oh my!” Luna gasped tearfully, “Quark… he would have loved this room… if only he’d been awake…”

As Luna stepped forward and allowed Phi into the room behind her, Phi was able to see in for the first time. She had to agree. The rec room was a warmly lit and brightly coloured room, containing several games and other recreational devices, centred on a large pool table; with just her first glance, Phi saw an electronic dartboard, a mini fridge for drinks – though with the glass misted over Phi couldn’t see what was inside – and a small but highly decorated stage with a projection screen. Luna lay Quark down gently in one corner, cradling his head as she placed it against the wall. Luna checked Quark’s vital signs one last time, and then both Luna and Phi hurriedly started to search the room, Luna heading clockwise and Phi anticlockwise.

 

The first thing Phi came across was a jukebox sitting in the near corner, next to a row of three display cabinets. Phi didn’t even bother trying to activate it; the electricity cable was nowhere near long enough to reach to the nearby socket. Phi tried to pull the jukebox closer. However, while there was some small movement as she tilted it, it was far too heavy for one person to move alone.

“Hey, Luna! Come and help with this.”

Phi waited a moment for Luna to appear beside her. When Luna didn’t immediately start helping Phi drag the music box, Phi turned to look; Luna hadn’t grasped the music box because her hands were full.

“Is that… an extension cord?” Phi asked. She was just grateful that Luna had found a more efficient and elegant solution than the one she had attempted.

Once the jukebox was plugged in, Phi examined the control panel. Before she could experiment, though, Luna tapped her on the shoulder.

“I… I think we’ll find a clue for that later. Maybe we should keep looking first?” Luna asked hesitantly, before leaving to the other side of the rec room.

Luna was right. With twenty-six letters and ten numbers to choose from, guessing randomly at the jukebox would achieve nothing. Phi turned her attention to the display cabinets. The middle one contained an irregularly shaped box – there was writing and some sort of picture on it, but Phi couldn’t make it out though the translucent glass – while the other two were empty, but had indentations in them ready to accept records from the jukebox. Naturally, while Phi could open the empty cabinets, the middle one was locked. Phi tested the window of the middle cabinet,

Phi moved on to the stage that dominated the right hand wall. Four suits of armour – medieval ones, not like K’s – were arranged in various stylised poses and holding weapons. Except for the furthest one which, for some ridiculous reason, was holding a pool cue. Phi weaved between the suits, examining each one carefully. Looking through the eye-slits of each helmet yielded nothing, since each was pitch black inside. The outside of each suit provided little either; the only items available were the armaments, and it was hardly necessary to take them with her since they were clearly visible.

Once she was done, she walked over to the pedestal in front of the stage. Phi leaned over the back of it. As she did so, her hand brushed against one of the buttons.

An ominous groan sounded across the entire stage behind her. Phi panicked. Oh god the suits of armour had come alive! Phi dived away from the animated silver monsters she imagined were chasing her. Images of occupant-less, implacably advancing suits pursuing her flashed frantically through her mind. She rolled past the pool table and leaned against the far side for cover. Once she was stationary, she peered around the corner.

Just in time to see the suits of armour return to rest.

Of course. It was just a short display of animatronics. There hadn’t been any danger at all.

Sheepishly, Phi emerged. She returned to the stage and re-examined the centre-piece of the motion: one knight swinging a spear towards the shield of another. Now that it had been pointed out, Phi saw an allen key nestled under a thin glass layer of the shield. Presumably, the intention of the puzzle was to arrange it so that the motion of the suits of armour broke the glass, so that the allen key could be retrieved. Of course, Phi knew much simpler ways to safely break thin glass. It was a useful skill to have whenever you needed to seek a way out of – or into – somewhere.

 

As Phi smashed the glass, there was a whimper from the far corner. Quark was stirring. Pocketing the allen key, Phi rushed over, arriving shortly after Luna.

“Broken… everything’s broken… I…” Quark murmured, fighting through the lingering effects of the Soporil Beta. “Escape… out of… my body…”

Luna bowed her head over the boy, deep in thought. “This shouldn’t be happening. The Soporil should have kept him unconscious. He still won’t be able to move for a while, but… We don’t have much time.” She shuddered, as though her mind was at war with itself. “I-I shouldn’t… I must do this…” Suddenly Luna turned to stare at Phi with piercing resolve in her eyes. “Phi. I need you to trust me. Please! I think I know how to solve this puzzle. Take this…” – Luna handed one of a pile of golden coin-like discs to Phi – “… put it in that ride and sit on it until something happens.” Luna pointed to the corner, where there was a child’s fairground ride shaped suspiciously like Zero Jr.’s avatar.

Phi hesitated.

“Please, Phi!” Luna insisted, “You have to trust me. If we do this, then we can get Quark back to the infirmary before…”

Phi relented. She took the token and placed it in a slot on the front of the ride. Phi, wondering why Luna had instructed her to do so, got on the back of Zero Jr. shortly before the ride started to move.

Luna had instructed her to stay on the ride until she knew why she was on there. Phi therefore did nothing, apart from casually maintaining her balance, but watch Luna as she started to interact with the pool table. Luna pulled a sheet of paper out of the ball retrieval slot, and took it over to the mini-fridge, on top of which a collection of plainly coloured, numbered pool balls sat inside their triangle. Phi couldn’t see what the sheet said, but Phi assumed they were instructions, because after a cursory glance Luna selected six of the balls and, with one swing of her hand, span them across the table. Phi was amazed as all six balls dropped, one by one, into different pockets. Phi had had no idea that Luna possessed such a skill. From her demeanour, Luna didn’t consider the finesse to be worthy of note; all Phi could see on her expression as Luna bent down to retrieve the reward from the pool table was Luna’s concern for Quark.

Before Phi could wonder about what Luna had just done, her ride came to an end. A blinding flash burst from the front of the ride and, by the time Phi had recovered, the machine had printed out a photograph of her. Phi leapt off the ride and grabbed the photo as it fluttered down. Not caring about her image, Phi urgently flipped over the sheet and found two codes printed on the back: each a letter followed by a number. They looked like codes for the jukebox.

Phi looked up to find Luna already standing next to the jukebox. Phi was instantly suspicious. How had Luna known?! “Luna!” Phi called out tersely.

“N-Need to… all gonna die…” Quark spoke again the moment Phi’s attention was focused entirely on Luna.

Phi turned back to Quark frantically. It was an unsettling sight. Quark was still nearly incapacitated by the anaesthetic, but his right hand had managed to work its way up to his throat. He still had nowhere near the strength to do damage to himself, but it was dismaying that he could even try.

There was no way, after seeing that, that Phi could put anything before rescuing Quark. “Luna! D1 and Z9!”

 

Phi knelt down next to Quark and restrained him, watching in a daze as Luna frantically solved the rest of the rec room’s puzzle. Phi watched as Luna activated the jukebox twice; before the jukebox could read the golden discs and play their music, Luna swiped them from the machine and carefully placed them in the two open display cabinets. Phi didn’t understand how, but this unlocked the middle cabinet. Phi watched as Luna retrieved a box from inside; when Luna attached the items she had acquired from the pool table to the shafts contained in the box, Phi realised that she had created darts. Finally Luna carried the darts over to the dartboard and precisely embedded them in three specific spots. This activated the screen next to the dartboard and Luna memorised the safe passcode as quickly and effortlessly as Sigma – with his eidetic memory – ever had.

Luna had been so certain, so accurate, in each of her actions, and Phi could think of only two possibilities to explain this. Either Luna was terrifyingly more intelligent than Phi was herself: let’s be honest, not very likely. Or…

“Okay, the safe is open,” Luna announced gently. Without another word, Luna handed an Ambidex Room keycard and a map of the second floor to Phi, picked up Quark, and left swiftly by the exit door.

Just before leaving, Phi surveyed the rec room. Though they had completed the puzzle, the room still seemed disturbingly incomplete. For one thing, Phi now saw that a strip had been ripped out of the felt of the pool table; from Phi’s experience during the infirmary puzzle, she would have expected the hole should have been filled in. For another, the allen key resting in her pocket had been completely unused, despite the effort to acquire it.

It didn’t seem like Phi would be able to work out what had happened just by examining the rec room; she had to follow Luna back to the upper floor. Phi studied the map for a moment, seeing that turning right immediately after leaving would open up a shortcut leading back to the elevator. Phi pursued Luna, catching up just in time to ride the elevator up together.

 

It was obvious, given Luna’s flawless completion of the puzzle, that they were the first trio back. Phi helped Luna lay Quark on a bed in the infirmary and watched as Luna increased Quark’s Soporil dose. Once Quark was fully unconscious again, Luna turned to Phi.

“So, Phi…”

“What the hell was going on there, Luna?” Phi asked intensely.

Luna tilted her head to the side. “‘Going on’? I’m sorry, Phi, I don’t know what you mean… I mean, wasn’t that puzzle obvious to you?”

“Don’t try to lie to me, Luna. You’re no good at it. You knew exactly what was going on in that puzzle. I want to know how you did it. Now.”

Luna’s smile faded slightly. “When we were in the rec room, you could have confronted me then. You didn’t. You helped instead. I’m guessing, but I think you made a choice then. The choice that saving Quark mattered more than any of the other stuff going on.” Luna looked down at the sleeping boy and maternally stroked his forehead. “Can you blame me for making the same choice?”

Phi scowled. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I… I c-can’t answer your question,” Luna responded hesitantly, “Please don’t make me. I don’t blame you for being suspicious of me, but it won’t help.”

“Let me state it plainly. The way it looks to me, you knew everything… literally everything that was going on in that puzzle. You didn’t have to read the instructions for a moment before you followed them. You went from one part of the room to the next without having to think. You didn’t make mistakes! What, did Zero write a walkthrough or something?!” Phi asked scornfully.

“You think I’m Zero Sr.,” Luna stated.

Phi sighed. “Frankly, I’m beginning to think everyone’s Zero Sr. But, yeah. I think you might be Zero.”

Luna hung her head timidly. “I did what I did to save Quark. Would Zero have done that? He doesn’t care whether we live or die.”

To her surprise, Phi instinctively believed Luna. Was this one of the things she ‘just knew’? Or was Luna manipulating her in a way she couldn’t protect herself against? Phi didn’t know.

Suddenly Luna changed the subject. “Maybe you should go to the warehouse, in case they go there first after getting back? I really hope they found some Axelavir, and if they have, I want to get it to Quark as quickly as possible.”

Phi gave up. Luna was going to stonewall her. If Luna was up to something, she was hardly going to admit it. With an exasperated sigh, Phi exited the infirmary, leaving Luna behind with Quark.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._


	13. Nice Quark you've got there. Shame if something happened to him...

Phi leaned against the warehouse wall, lost in her own thoughts. She barely noticed when Tenmyouji barged in, a frantic expression contorting his face.

“Where’s Quark?!” he roared at Phi, snapping her out of her reverie.

“Luna’s looking after him in the infirmary.” Phi decided not to mention how Luna had acted while solving the rec room puzzle. It would only drive Tenmyouji to do something stupid.

Without a word, Tenmyouji raced away from her towards the yellow door. After he’d left, Alice and K entered.

Phi greeted them, and explained Quark’s condition. “So, did you find any Axelavir?” she asked. It was a long shot, given how anguished Tenmyouji had looked, but Phi had to try.

“Ah. I’m afraid not,” K replied glumly, “The room we entered was set up like a library. It was not the sort of place where I would expect medicine to be found.”

“That’s right,” Alice concurred, “Lots of books. Still, we kept on looking even when it was obvious there wasn’t going to be anything. Tenmyouji… insisted.”

“I do not blame him,” K said, “I actually found the search to be… rather invigorating. It is difficult to find purpose without any recollection of my past, so feeling useful was a pleasant experience. Even when we failed to find any Axelavir, I had hoped that the books in the archive would provide useful information. Unfortunately, that was not the case; all of the books were written in Latin, which none of us were capable of translating.”

“I can read Latin,” Phi said, “If we get the chance, you should show me where the archive is. I should be able to translate any book in there, provided it’s not too technical.”

“Thank you,” K replied, “I would be very grateful for your assistance. It may be the case that this is something Zero Sr. overlooked. If he did not expect any of us to read Latin, then he might have been less careful about what he left for us to find, believing that we would be unable to make use of it. Of course, there is always the possibility that it is just, ah, window dressing: entirely meaningless words intended to cause us to waste time.”

“Was there anything more interesting in the room you searched?” Alice asked Phi.

Phi wondered exactly how much she should say. “Not much,” she replied, “It was a place called the rec room.”

“‘Rec room’? Short for ‘recreation room’, I presume?” K said, “That sounds very pleasant.”

 

Just then, Dio strolled in cheerfully, with Clover and Sigma trailing behind. Dio spun his Ambidex keycard in his hand playfully and, before anyone could stop him, opened one of the Ambidex Rooms.

“Sorry. I went ahead and cracked it open a bit early. You don’t mind, right? I dunno about you, but I’m really looking forward to the next round,” Dio said, with a vicious grin.

“So what was your room?” Alice asked.

“A laboratory,” Sigma replied. That sounded promising.

“Did it look like the sort of place where they’d be researching viruses and DNA and those kinds of things?” Alice gazed at Sigma curiously.

This time, Clover was the one to answer, though she did so with a disconcerting level of nervousness. “Yeah, it did. Well, the puzzle was like… loads simpler than that, more like high school science, but it did look like it would be a virus and DNA sort of place.”

Phi decided to get to the point. “Was there any of that Axelavir?”

At the mention of the word ‘Axelavir’, Sigma stuttered. Instead of answering he glanced over at Dio. Clover did the same, biting her lip nervously. Dio frowned at the two of them.

“Um… No. Nothing.” Sigma replied.

Dio chuckled. “Yeah. We found nothing but some dusty old journal full of some sort of bullshit language.” His giggle continued, as if this was some sort of sick private joke of his.

Phi glanced at Alice and K. It must have been as obvious to them as it was to her.

Sigma, Clover and Dio had found some Axelavir. Dio had it. If Sigma wasn’t willing to say that, then Dio must have threatened to destroy the Axelavir to prevent him from doing so. There was only one thing that Dio could possibly want to use the Axelavir to get. Dio was on six points. If he was hoping to use the threat to make Sigma vote ‘Ally’…

Sigma couldn’t do that. He’d die.

Sigma would have to protect himself by voting ‘Betray’.

 

Well. Damnit.

 

There had to be something they could do to recover the Axelavir. Phi would have to tread carefully, making sure Dio didn’t catch on that she knew as she tried to work out what Dio’s plan was. Then, outmanoeuvre him. It was already clear that Dio had included in his stipulations that Sigma and Clover weren’t allowed to tell anyone that he was blackmailing them, presumably to avoid the sort of counterattack that Phi was trying to engineer. That meant he must already be planning to analyse all the other players for any signs of the information he wanted restricted.

“So… how did it go with you?” Sigma asked hesitantly, “Find anything interesting?”

Sigma almost certainly had the right idea, changing the conversation before Dio realised that Phi, Alice and K had realised what was happening, though Phi didn’t believe that Sigma had arrived at the right answer purposefully: he wasn’t anywhere near calculating enough. Phi shook her head in answer to Sigma’s query.

“Hmm… Where does that leave us?” Alice murmured, “I’m a little curious about that lab you found. I thought I might go take a peek at it.” That was a decent attempt to solve the problem – if one dose of Axelavir had been found in the laboratory, perhaps others would be as well – but Dio’s calm reaction when Clover offered to show Alice the way down there confirmed that Dio had already made sure that wasn’t a possibility.

Instead, Dio smirked, saying, “I think I’ll go have a look at whatever room Alice, K and Tenmyouji found. Never know, maybe you missed something. Perhaps there’s some Axelavir hidden somewhere.” Dio’s choice made it clear which of the other players he feared most. With Alice already having declared where she was going and Tenmyouji fixated on remaining in the infirmary with Quark, only K was available to guide Dio to the archives. There, Dio could make sure K was kept isolated from the others and control any flow of information to him. If Phi followed K to the archive – as she had intended before the disruption caused by Dio’s blackmail attempt – then she would be completely unable to act against Dio.

 

Instead, Phi waited until only Sigma and she remained. With any luck, she would be able to pump Sigma for more information while Dio was absent. She stared at Sigma expectantly, willing him to say something – anything – that would help them escape Dio’s trap.

Rather than giving her anything useful, however, Sigma shrugged, only saying, “Guess I should be going too. I want to head over to the infirmary to see how Quark’s doing.”

Damnit, Sigma! Was he really so dense as to think he still had to keep silent, even when Dio wasn’t there to overhear? Or was it that he didn’t trust Phi: that he feared that even she would let slip incriminating details of their conversation to Dio? Whatever his rationale, this was frustrating. Phi needed to know more if she was going to help.

Rather than futilely attempt to change Sigma’s mind, which would probably just make Sigma even more distressed and shred his ability to think clearly, Phi changed the subject towards something that Sigma might be willing to talk about. “Show me that journal, first. The one Dio mentioned, remember?”

Sigma pulled the journal out of his pocket and presented it to Phi. It was a thick, hidebound book, its brown surface mottled with age and use. When Phi opened it and flipped through the pages, she found that it was written in Latin: as she expected, given Dio’s ‘stupid bullshit language’ comment and K’s explanation about the books in the archive.

“Wait, you can read that?” Sigma asked, seeing the intent expression on her face.

“Yeah, with time and a dictionary. Pardon me for not being able to translate a dead language on the fly.”

Unfortunately, the journal appeared to have been written by a researcher; every other word was a technical term of one sort or another that Phi had never seen before. Even ignoring the words she didn’t understand, the entire journal was very badly written, as though the writer had learned Latin merely from a dictionary and in isolation away from anyone who could have corrected the innumerable mistakes. In a language as tense dependant as Latin, that was death to comprehensibility.

Phi turned to the one page of the journal – page 216 – with a relative dearth of unknown words and tried to translate. It was tough going – just because all the words were now individually understandable didn’t make the writer any better at grammar, and Phi had to spend several minutes untangling the ridiculous sentence construction. Eventually, however, Phi was able to read the page to Sigma.

 

“It looks like they’re talking about Radical-6. ‘December 29th: When the body is infected with Radical-6, the speed of the brain is reduced. If we assume the brain normally operates on a one-to-one basis with regards to time, Radical-6 reduces this to root-6-to-1, approximately 1:0.408. This means that for each second that passes outside, the patient feels that only 0.408 seconds have passed inside. This is why the virus is called ‘Radical-6’

“‘Those infected by Radical-6 eventually develop a powerful urge to commit suicide. The exact cause is unknown, and although there is as yet no direct link between the suicidal urges and the reduction in mental processing speed, many believe that they are not unrelated. Those infected with Radical-6 perceive the world to be moving at a fever pitch, as if it were being fast-forwarded. Given this increased speed of input, maintaining the ability to observe and reason would become a herculean task. Unable to keep up, the brain begins to fail.

“‘Whatever the cause, the infected invariably attempt to take their own lives, which is arguably the most terrifying aspect of this virus.

“‘Research suggests that a targeted antiviral could kill or at least disable Radical-6, but we have been unable to develop one. It seems our best hope now is to harvest antibodies from someone with a natural immunity to the virus. Thus far however, we have been unable to locate a suitable subject, so I have continued my efforts to discover an alternate means of treatment. Given my current rate of progress, I predict that I will have a workable treatment within a decade or two. It is my fervent hope that humanity will be able to survive that long.

“‘The bodies of those dead from suicide are piled up along the roads leading into and out of town. The entire area reeks with the stench of decay, and the sky is filled with the constant buzzing of flies. At times, their swarms are so thick that when one passes it feels as if a cloud has gone over the sun. Every day I see more crows, and rats are everywhere feeding on the dead. Ironically, the only healthy looking creatures are the stray cats, who have grown fat on a plentiful rodent diet.

“‘The few humans who survived the outbreak have been locked away by the government in underground shelters. I don’t know how many were saved, but I fear only a handful. Their survival is the only hope that remains for the human race. Oh Lord, please let their future be a bright one.’”

 

The journal completely explained Quark’s behaviour, and made even clearer how crucial it was that he be cured. As she thought that, Phi realised the contradiction between the claims of the journal and the situation they were currently in. “There are two things in here that worry me. First, the part about how they haven’t managed to develop a treatment yet. What do you make of that?”

Sigma replied, “What am I supposed to make of it? Maybe they just hadn’t found one when the journal was written? I mean, we know there’s a drug called Axelavir that cures it.”

“Exactly. But in the journal it says it might take twenty years to make something like that.”

“Well, when was this thing even written?” Sigma asked, “There wasn’t any year mentioned in it, and there’s no way it was written this year.”

This was a conundrum, but without any more evidence they wouldn’t be able to solve it, and it looked useless to even try. Foregoing it, Phi moved onto her second point. “The second concern I have is about the underground shelters it mentions. The newspaper article said something about quarantining people too. After we read it, we all thought the same thing: what if this was one of those quarantine facilities? But this journal seems to suggest the opposite. ‘The few humans who survived the outbreak have been locked away by the government in underground shelters.’”

“Nah, that can’t be right,” Sigma interrupted her, “You’re trying to say that this place might be one of those underground shelters. Which would mean we’re all supposed to be uninfected. We would have been thrown in here to keep us safe. But Quark’s been infected, right? If this was a shelter, and the virus got in here somehow… that would be bad.”

“If this is one of those shelters, a lot of things start to make sense,” Phi suggested, “Maybe we’ve been in here a long time. Like, maybe they put us to sleep somehow, for years, or maybe even decades. While we were sleeping, the pandemic happened, and whoever had this journal made this entry… And then once the anti-viral treatment was finished, they woke us up?”

“No, that doesn’t make sense. We were all captured before the pandemic started, right? How would they have known the pandemic was coming, so that they knew they should take us? How would they have put us to sleep for so long? But most importantly, why are we playing the Nonary Game if the point is to save us?”

 

Phi gave up. It looked like speculating at all about the journal was going to be useless. There was also one other thing that had disheartened her. While she had talked to Sigma about the journal, she had continued thinking about the predicament of Dio’s blackmail attempt. After thinking it over, Dio’s plan was obvious. Unfortunately, it was also unassailable.

It would take co-ordinated action to recover the Axelavir from Dio by force. That meant that all Dio had to do was keep eavesdropping for any hint that any of the other players knew about the blackmail. As long as he moved quickly and randomly from one group of players to another, he’d maximise the chance of hearing that one hint.

And that meant that even those players who knew what was going on couldn’t afford to speak. To do so risked Dio arriving at that very moment; it risked Dio destroying the Axelavir because of it. Perhaps Sigma had worked this out for himself: he had not discussed the Axelavir with Phi because he feared Dio would double back after leaving to catch them at it.

Whether Sigma had avoided the topic of discussion consciously or by instinct, either way it only highlighted how hopeless the situation was. Phi gave up. She couldn’t see what to do. Soon enough, they would be forced into the AB Game, and Sigma would have to betray to save his own life. Soon enough, the bottle of Axelavir would be no more.

“Let’s head back to the infirmary, see Quark,” she said resignedly to Sigma.

She couldn’t see what to do. There had to be something that Dio had missed, some trick or stratagem that would save them. But Phi couldn’t see it.

It was hopeless.

 

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_One more Plot Lock reached:_ **Plot Lock 7: Hide and Seek.**  Here are our choices for where we restart this time:  
_1) We now have the Plot Key to get us through **Plot Lock 5: Latin or Die.** Therefore, we can now continue the story after that Plot Lock (Chapter 11)._  
_2) Go back to the first choice of Chromatic Door (Chapter 2) and choose to take Luna through the Magenta Door._  
_3) Go back to the first choice of Chromatic Door (Chapter 2) and choose to take Alice through the Cyan Door._  
_If you have a preference, please leave a comment to vote._

_I'm heading back to uni soon, so I'm going to have to slow down the rate at which I update Empty Virtue. Don't worry; this isn't a hiatus. All it means is that I'l be posting every month instead of every two weeks._


	14. Quidquid Latine Dictum Sit, Altum Videtur

**Plot Lock 5: Latin or Die** _**Unlocked**_ **.**  The plot key was picked up last chapter (Chapter 13) when Phi translated the Latin Journal. This chapter follows Chapter 11; we pick up as Clover prepares her indiscriminate revenge on the other players. Only Phi and the Latin Journal she holds can talk her down... 

* * *

Phi held the journal tightly in her hands, peering at it desperately. Over the top of the journal’s cover, she could she Clover advancing on her. Phi had only seconds left to translate the Latin text in front of her, and she knew she couldn’t do it in time. There just wasn’t enough time. Phi closed her eyes, and waited stoically for Clover’s wrath to strike. And then, suddenly…

_Phi was somewhere else. Far from the cramped crew cabin she had been standing it, she now looked around and found herself standing in the spacious floor A warehouse, almost entirely devoid of company. The only other person there was Sigma, who stood in front of her with a bemused, somewhat stressed expression on his aged face. He held the journal. The same journal that he’d somehow found on Alice’s body in the crew quarters._

_Sigma passed her the journal and said something, but the only thing Phi heard was an echoing ringing in her ears. Phi felt herself reply, though she hadn’t consciously intended to, and just as she hadn’t heard Sigma’s statement, she couldn’t hear her own reply. Her body was acting automatically, just as it had in that vision she’d had when they’d found the old lady’s body. Phi took the journal and flipped through it steadily, not jumping straight to page 216 as she had in the crew quarters._

_Some subconscious knowledge told her that there was something she was trying to talk to Sigma about, unrelated to the journal, even as she started examining the leather-bound book. Something about… blackmail? That didn’t make sense, or if it did she lacked so much of the context for it that it was meaningless anyway. Whatever she was trying to say, Sigma didn’t let her, keeping the subject of their conversation pinned on the journal._

_Phi acquiesced, and carried on flipping through the pages of the book. It was definitely the same one that Sigma had asked her to translate to placate Clover: most of the pages were highly technical and filled with data, and as a result Phi-in-the-dream skimmed past them quickly much as Phi had in reality. Phi waited passively for the moment when she’d reach page 216, the only page anywhere close to being within the reach of her translation abilities._

_When Phi arrived at that page, her perception sped up; she found her eyes sweeping swiftly and confidently across the page. It felt like twenty minutes went past in just a few seconds. When it was over, she understood exactly what the Latin text was trying to saying. With a deep breath, she started narrating to Sigma…_

With a deep breath, she started narrating to Clover. Phi, having snapped back to reality, found herself speaking the words that tumbled out of her subconscious. Even though she didn’t understand why, she was certain that it was the translation she had been looking for.

“‘December 29th: When the body is infected with Radical-6, the speed of the brain is reduced. If we assume the brain normally operates on a one-to-one basis with regards to time, Radical-6 reduces this to root-6-to-1, approximately 1:0.408. This means that for each second that passes outside, the patient feels that only 0.408 seconds have passed inside. This is why the virus is called ‘Radical-6’

“‘Those infected by Radical-6 eventually develop a powerful urge to commit suicide. The exact cause is unknown, and although there is as yet no direct link between the suicidal urges and the reduction in mental processing speed, many believe that they are not unrelated. Those infected with Radical-6 perceive the world to be moving at a fever pitch, as if it were being fast-forwarded. Given this increased speed of input, maintaining the ability to observe and reason would become a herculean task. Unable to keep up, the brain begins to fail.

“‘Whatever the cause, the infected invariably attempt to take their own lives, which is arguably the most terrifying aspect of this virus.’”

Phi didn’t know how she was able to speak those words so assuredly, but Clover seemed satisfied that Phi had translated the journal honestly; Clover stopped her threatening advance. Instead, she broke down in tears. The danger was over, but seeing Clover so distraught meant that no-one felt anything like relief.

 

Rather than give Clover time to recover, Dio started talking sharply. “We’ve got a problem. It’s almost time for the next lot of Chromatic Doors to open.” That was true; Phi checked her bracelet and saw that the countdown was at only ten minutes remaining. Dio knelt down next to Alice’s body and scooped up her bracelet. “Sorry, but I’ll be taking this. Phi and I won’t be able to open the secondary door without it.”

That reminded Phi that she still needed to find out what the remaining three bracelets had changed to so that she could work out the pairings for the next round. Alice’s bracelet, cradled in Dio’s hand, showed that she would have been a magenta pair – Phi’s partner. In addition, Luna’s bracelet was cyan, which by elimination meant that Quark was yellow. That meant that the groups for the next round were:

Phi and Alice’s bracelet would go with Dio.  
Tenmyouji and Quark would go with Sigma.  
Clover and Luna would go with K.

They needed to leave quickly, collect Quark, then head down to the lower floor. Unfortunately, Clover wouldn’t move; she was still mourning Alice, kneeling paralysed in front of her corpse.

Luna gripped Clover’s shoulders comfortingly. “Come on, Clover. We need to go. Alice would want you to survive, wouldn’t she? You’ll never be able to figure out why all this happened if you stay here. Please…”

It took several long moments for this to sink into Clover’s mind, but eventually she replied with a whisper, “You’re right…” Clover stood up and, just before leaving, solemnly spoke her final farewell to Alice. “Alice, I promise I’ll find out what happened to you. I’ll figure out who Zero really is. I mean, if you’d never been locked up in here, you never would have… This never would have happened. So it’s like Zero killed you. I… I promise… I’ll avenge you.”

 

Clover was still somewhat unsteady on her feet, so Phi and Luna helped her to the elevator, following K and Dio while Sigma and Tenmyouji went to retrieve Quark from the infirmary. Thanks to the shortcut, it didn’t take long for the five of them to reach the floor B warehouse. They spread out in front of the three Chromatic Doors and stood impatiently waiting for them to open. There was only about five minutes left, but with nothing to do but wait it seemed to stretch out to eternity. It was reminiscent of how Phi’s perceptions had sped up during the vision that had allowed her to translate the journal, though Phi was sure that this time it was natural: unrelated to the whatever-it-was that had caused that hallucination.

What the hell had that been, anyway? Yes, translating the somewhat more colloquial language of page 216 was within her capabilities, but there was no way she should have been able to do it in the time that Clover allowed her. Perhaps the urgency of the situation had driven her mind into overdrive? It had been known to happen, yes, but usually with much simpler tasks: the sort where a snap decision could be made. An intellectually complex task like a difficult translation should have required distractionless quiet, not the urgent terror of an ultimatum. In any case, why had translating the text also given her that vision of Sigma in the warehouse, seemingly unrelated to the task at hand. It made no sense.

Phi also considered the SOIS manual, which she’d tucked away after she’d found Alice’s body. It was practically useless now; there was no way to use it to entice a reaction from the corpse. If it was the case that Alice was an agent of SOIS, then it looked like her secret would go with her to the grave. Perhaps Clover knew? Perhaps Phi could attempt to extract a confession from Clover? No, trying that would probably just incite Clover to try and kill her again. Now that Phi thought about it, it was her attempt to surprise Alice with the manual that had caused Clover to become so violently suspicious in the first place. Had Phi not insisted so strongly on following Clover to search for Alice, Clover would not have been so wary of her fellow players at the very moment that she found Alice’s body. Phi gave up on ever finding out the truth about SOIS. Alice’s secret would remain secret.

Clover spoke up hesitantly, bringing Phi’s attention back to her surroundings. “So… um…” It seemed Clover wasn’t quite yet recovered from seeing Alice dead, and it showed in her voice. “There’s three doors. Which one should each group go into?”

“It doesn’t really matter,” Phi replied bluntly, “We can go into any of them, and we don’t have any information to say which doors would be better, so it’s completely meaningless. We might as well choose at random.”

“Ah, yes,” K said, “So far, all the puzzles have been at about the same level of difficulty – challenging, but within the capabilities of at least the adults among us – so that we solved them and met up again at about the same time. In particular, there has not yet been any need for external knowledge not provided by sources within the rooms themselves. For that, I am very grateful. Given my amnesia, I suspect I would be at some disadvantage in any room that did require such knowledge.”

“Still on about that amnesia bullshit?” Dio exclaimed accusingly.

“Indeed. One other thing I am at a disadvantage is small talk. I apologise for boring you, but I am afraid that until my memory returns I will not have any other topics of conversation which I can confidently discuss.” As Dio fumed, K continued, “That aside, Phi is correct. There is no particular reason to believe that any of us will be more suitable for going through some doors than others. I am happy to go through whichever door Luna and Clover choose.”

Luna nodded and slowly approached the middle of the three glowing white doors. Phi, rather arbitrarily, headed left. It was annoying having the get closer to Dio again, but the Nonary Game required it.

Phi was starting to get worried about Sigma, Tenmyouji and Quark, but she needn’t have worried. They arrived just as the Chromatic Doors opened. That was plenty of time, given that there were five minutes before the doors closed again, and that the two groups already there had already easily chosen their doors.

Dio, however, needed to quibble. “You’re late!” he snapped, “Where the hell have you been… Quark?!”

Dio, along with the rest of them, had noticed that Quark was now standing. Indeed, he was positively bouncing with energy; there was no evidence but their memories that he’d ever changed from how he had been when the nine players had met by the Number Nine Door. Nor was there any evidence that he knew anything about Alice’s death: Tenmyouji must have been careful enough not to let anything slip about it. Upon seeing Quark well again, everyone – including Phi – started to offer well-meaning congratulations on his recovery, but Sigma, standing behind Quark, frantically gestured for them to stop. Tenmyouji must also not want Quark to find out about his own horrifying illness. Given what it had done to Alice, that made perfect sense.

Phi tried to think of something she could say to Quark that avoided the taboo subjects but before she could, Luna pointed worriedly at her own bracelet and said, “Ah, um, anyway! Th-There isn’t any time left! We need to hurry!”

“Wait. Which team goes in which door?” Sigma asked. He hadn’t been there for the previous discussion.

“All the doors are identical for this round,” K explained, “We’ve agreed that it doesn’t matter which team uses which door.”

Phi thought, from their relative positions in the warehouse, that the decision had already been made, but at the last moment Dio decided to argue. “I want to take the one in the middle. You want a kill-shot, you aim for the centre. You shoot at the extremities; you’re just gonna miss.”

Phi sighed with disgust. “How about: no? That logic is flawed and more than slightly disturbing. That’s more than enough of a counter-argument. We’re sticking where we are.”

Dio spluttered obnoxiously, but didn’t offer any other reason to enter the centre door. Thus, it was decided:

Phi, Dio and Alice’s bracelet would go through the left door.  
Luna, Clover and K would go through the middle door.  
Tenmyouji, Quark and Sigma would go through the right door.

With the decision made, and time running down, there was only one last thing to do: enter the white Chromatic Doors.

With a bold tone of voice, Phi commanded, “Alright, let’s move!”

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing). I've also gone ahead and added a table of Plot Locks below the diagram, in case that helps anyone._

_Congratulations on making it through your first Plot Lock, everyone! Of course, this one's an exact copy of the one from VLR. Since that Plot Lock was a big inspiration for my plan for this route, it felt wrong not to have a version of it in Phi's storyline._

_I also made one change from canon right at the end here. In game, Phi accepts Dio's dubious reasoning and goes through the centre door. But that takes her to the Q room, and that's so obviously the final puzzle room that it would be completely wrong for it to be reachable this quickly. This is one of those places where I think the designers really weren't thinking about Phi and her story. Instead, I'll have Phi and Dio enter security... which is exactly where I wanted them for my plot anyway! ;-) See you there next month._


	15. Echoing Voices

Behind the white Chromatic Door, the sensors glowed inquisitively as they swirled around Phi and Dio.

Dio smirked as he towered over Phi in the gap between the doors. “Looks like you and me are going through a Chromatic Door again. Hah. Of course, it’s _just_ you and me this time. Whatcha think about that, Phi?”

Before Phi could respond, the sensors finished scanning them. Phi’s bracelet, Dio’s bracelet, and finally – deep in one of Dio’s longcoat pockets – Alice’s bracelet: one by one the sensors confirmed the presence of each required bracelet. Then, the secondary doors opened and Phi and Dio were released towards their final puzzle of the Nonary Game.

After turning left and strolling down a long but straight corridor that must have been on the very edge of the facility, Phi found herself staring at an eye-level holographic plaque that read ‘Security’. For a moment, Phi felt a rising feeling of hope. If this place really was the nerve-centre for the entirety of security inside the facility, perhaps entering this room would allow Phi to take control and unlock all the doors, allowing the players to escape.

But Phi’s realism forced that hope to subside. Zero Sr. would have prepared for that possibility. There was no way he would miss any chance for the players to escape without playing the Nonary Game. Phi recalled how Sigma, Tenmyouji and Clover had described the room they had entered last round: an airlock-like pressure exchange chamber. It had promised the possibility of escape, but the final door had been welded to block their passage. For that matter, the archives that Phi had explored had also been thoroughly stripped of any books that would help the players against Zero Sr. It was clear that the gamemaster was taking no chances, here or anywhere else.

Phi entered the security room, Dio close behind her. The room was lit with a clinically bright white light, giving the whole space a formal, professional atmosphere. Immediately opposite Phi was the exit door, the golden, ornate keyhole prominently visible beside it. In fact, the walls around both the entrance and exit doors bulged in towards the centre of the room, with two results. Firstly, Phi could reach out and touch the exit door with her arms the moment she entered the security room. Secondly, the room was effectively divided into two sections, connected only by a narrow channel where the doors were.

Phi turned left. This took her down a short flight of steps into the larger of the two sections. The array of screens on the far wall, plus the secondary large screens to either side, were certainly intended to allow the occupants of this room to closely monitor every other inhabitant of the facility. The presence of giant, ceiling-to-floor speakers ensured that this surveillance was hardly limited to the visual. Currently however, all of the monitors – and therefore presumably the speakers as well – were off.

Below the screens were three work desks, filled with a myriad of buttons and sliders which would control the images displayed by the screens, as well as their own comfortably-sized touchscreens. In front of the work desks were ergonomically moulded chairs that would perfectly support their occupants during the long hours of surveillance; their almost-florescent bright colours – green to Phi’s left, yellow beneath the giant array of screens, red to Phi’s right – meant they stood out vividly against the background.

But all that was useless while the screens stayed dark. Phi traced the problem by following the cables of the electronic equipment around to the left to a dull metal box sheltered in the alcove formed as the wall bulged out towards the entry door. Ignoring the cautionary label, Phi yanked open the panel; as Phi had expected, this was the electrical junction box for the security room. All the switches inside were currently flipped down. She quickly flipped all the switches up, exposing their green undersides. The whirring buzz as all the computers booted up confirmed that Phi had successfully turned them on.

Phi turned back to the right to see that each screen of the three-by-three array was now showing a different image sourced from the cameras inside the Nonary Game facility. The top left screen showed the interior of one of the Ambidex Rooms – which one, Phi couldn’t tell – while other screens showed the two warehouses and the various puzzle rooms that had been opened. Gazing thoughtfully at the screen, Phi scanned the images of the crew quarters – fortunately, a different cabin to the one that Alice had been murdered in – the infirmary, the lounge, the archives, the laboratory and the PEC. Grabbing one of the sliders on the work desk between her index and middle fingers, Phi was able to make the camera capturing the image from the archives swing around, taking in all the bookshelves in that room. That proved that this footage was live, but there was no movement on any of the screens. Of course, all of the players were in newly-opened rooms behind the white Chromatic Doors so that was to be expected, but it would have been nice to find out how the other teams were doing.

After getting her fill of information from the surveillance screens, Phi turned to the touchscreen in front of the yellow seat. If Phi was going to get any more control over the security room, she would need to activate it. Unfortunately, tapping the touchscreen only caused it to ask her for a password. Phi figured that the other two touchscreens would be similarly protected. She searched around the room for any clue to the passwords. Beside the junction box was a stack of binders, so Phi opened one of them up first. But they were unreadable. It wasn’t even in a foreign language, like the Latin in the archives; the sheet inside just had printed on it a large block of text formed from a random jumble of letters. Phi sighed, and slammed the binder shut.

 

The lights went out.

Phi spun around; her eyes peered into the darkness in the other half of the security room. The light emanating from the surveillance screens behind her made the task that much more difficult: the screens were nowhere near bright enough for their light to pierce all the way to the other end of the room, but they were just enough to prevent her eyes from adjusting properly to the darkness. Still, Phi tried.

The only source of light in the other half of security came from an illuminated button on the far wall, with a cable coming out of the button housing and working its way up to the ceiling. It looked like a light switch. Just as Phi’s eyes finally managed to focus on it, there was a ripple as a silhouette, longcoat billowing out behind it, passed in front of the lit-up button.

Dio. Dio must have been the one who turned off the lights.

“Are you trying to frighten me, Dio?” Phi announced into the darkness. Dio thrived off the uncertainty and doubt his malicious actions caused. By calmly declaring her understanding of the situation, Phi robbed Dio of his sinister power. Keeping her voice steady, Phi said, “Not going to work, Dio. There might just be the two of us in here, but all the other players know that as well. You think you’ll get away with it if I don’t get out of here?”

There was no response. Phi stayed on guard, waiting to see what Dio would attempt. As she waited, Phi noticed something. Looking down towards the flight of stairs, she noticed that under the lip of each step were bright capital letters, glowing distinctly compared to the blackness of the rest of the room. They had to have become visible now because the lights had gone off. The letter combinations were random, but they were of the right length to be passwords. The lip of each step had a thin band of colour; from the top of the stairs the order went: blue, green, yellow, cyan, magenta, red. It was immediately clear to Phi what these colours referred to. Three of the coloured bands matched the bright seats behind her, thereby giving the passwords to the three workstations. The left touchscreen was in front of the green seat, so its password could be found below the green lip of the steps: it was ‘ADGB’. Similarly, the password for the right touchscreen was ‘TMJYUVGJ’, and the password for the main console was ‘SGDQNY’.

Phi had the passwords, but she couldn’t relax yet. Dio was still out there. Until Phi found out what he intended she couldn’t relax. After taking a deep breath, Phi called out, “Besides, Dio. We both know you’re not smart enough to solve this puzzle by yourself.” There. That should goad him into revealing his intentions.

There was a brief, tense pause. Then the lights returned.

Dio was slouching on a sofa in the other half of the security room, the puzzle’s safe next to him with Dio’s right arm hanging over it possessively, while Dio’s left arm returned to a resting position from where it had just pressed the light switch. “Hah. Can’t take a joke? That’s all it was, Phi. A joke. What, you don’t believe me? I mean, with the sheer volume of gentle-points I have, how could you possibly think a gentleman like me would do something so crass as to threaten you?”

Phi frowned at him. “We don’t have time for stuff like that. With only two of us in here, I thought you’d finally get around to pulling your own weight. Guess I was wrong.”

If Dio hadn’t been prepared to try anything with the lights out, he probably wouldn’t try anything now. Phi would maintain a respectable level of caution towards him, but that was no reason to pay so much attention to him that she had no effort to spare for the actual puzzle. Phi turned away from Dio, ready to continue.

She started by entering the three passwords that she had learned while the lights were out. One by one, the touchscreens lit up with the green light of confirmation. One by one, each green screen faded away to show a small puzzle.

The mini-puzzles on the left and right touchscreens were very similar: they showed a geometric arrangement of triangles and hexagons coloured magenta and green, and instructed Phi to change the colours into the correct arrangement using only four moves, where touching any given shape would cause it and all its neighbours to alternate colours. Neither puzzle gave any indication of what the correct arrangement was.

The mini-puzzle beneath the three-by-three array of screens was significantly different. This puzzle showed a row of coloured egg-timers and wanted as its solution the times taken for each one to empty in seconds. Phi tried tipping one of them over, so that she could estimate its time in her head, but when she pressed ‘play’ on the touchscreen it emptied instantly. That couldn’t be right. Phi didn’t understand how this puzzle operated, and without that she couldn’t even begin to attempt it.

 

Maybe there were more clues in the other section of the security room. Phi could hardly rely on Dio to mention anything he’d found; she would have to check herself. As she headed past the doors, Phi passed Dio going the other way. She gave him no mind.

Compared to the first section of security, with its walls adorned with computer screens and electronic equipment, the other half was sparse. There was the sofa that Dio had been sitting on earlier and that Phi had seen after the lights came back on, but it had nothing on it but the safe so Phi had already seen everything she needed to know about it from that great distance. In front of the sofa was a low glass coffee table, also bare.

On the other two walls of this section were artfully designed shelves made out of crystal glass. Though these shelves also had nothing on them, something about them drew Phi’s attention. Then she recognised it: the shapes of these shelves formed an identical geometric pattern to that used in the mini-puzzles on the touchscreens. The crystal shelves were almost exactly in line with their respective touchscreens, so they had to be related.

The only difference was that the puzzles relied heavily on colour, while the shelves were almost perfectly clear with only a hint of white. Since the main thing that Phi needed to discover was the target colour arrangements of the hexagon puzzles, just looking at the crystal shelves wasn’t much use. Since the shelves were definitely related to the solutions of the hexagon puzzles, Phi had to think intensely, trying to find some way to reveal the answer.

Phi recalled how the passwords for the touchscreens had appeared only when Dio had switched off the lights to scare her; perhaps she could press the light switch as well to reveal something about the shelves.

“Dio, I’m about to turn the lights off again,” Phi announced.

There wasn’t any response from the other end of the room. Phi waited five seconds, then marched over to the light switch and placed her hand over it. The button was considerably more ornate than she had been able to perceive when the lights were out, with a golden casing shaped like the head of a roaring lion. That only confirmed how important the lights were to the security room’s puzzle. Phi pressed the switch.

As the room was once again overtaken by darkness, Phi heard Dio grumbling, “I guess you think it’s fine when you turn off the lights, but when _I_ do it everyone makes a big fuss. Heh,” but Phi ignored him. When Phi turned back around to examine the shelves her suspicions were confirmed. Both sets of shelves were lit up from behind with coloured light, with one shelf having all its hexagons coloured magenta and all its triangles coloured green, and vice-versa for the other set of shelves. These had to be the target colour schemes Phi had been looking for, plain as day. With her answer found, Phi switched on the lights once more.

“Finally!” Dio called out from by the array of computer screens. Once again, Phi ignored him.

Phi returned to the main half of the security room and sat down in the green seat. Tapping the touchscreen there, she loaded up the geometric puzzle once more. Phi’s geometric intuition was keen, so despite only having four moves to change the colours into the correct arrangement Phi solved it swiftly and easily. The similar puzzle on the touchscreen opposite fell before Phi just as easily.

Satisfied, Phi stood up and surveyed the results of her efforts. Above both touchscreens, the giant screens had activated. The one on the left displayed the words ‘I was you’ in large but plain text, while the screen on the right displayed ‘Will be me.’ These had to be hints to help solve the security room puzzle.

Phi didn’t yet know where those phrases would be used, so she decided to see what Dio had been up to. Fortunately, Dio hadn’t been completely idle: while Phi had been engrossed solving puzzles on the touchscreens to either side of the main array of screens, Dio had sat down in the yellow chair below that array. As his left hand lazily spun two egg timers on the work desk in front of him – they must be the clues Zero Sr. had given the players to allow them to solve the egg-timer puzzle on the  central touchscreen – Dio’s fingers on his right hand tapped away rapidly at the screen. With one last vicious stab of his index finger, Dio pressed the enter key, completing the mini-puzzle.

At once, the three-by three-array of screens changed. Where before they had shown footage from Zero Jr.’s surveillance of the facility, now each screen just showed a single white word on a green background. Phi looked at Dio expectantly, willing him to look at the touchscreen in front of him to see if it gave any more information about these words.

Instead, Dio stood up. He stretched his arms out lazily. “Nah. I’m done for the day. You wanted me to pull my own weight for this puzzle, well, I’ve done that. You finish it off.” As Phi sighed and approached the yellow seat, Dio grinned cruelly. “You know, you keep telling me to do stuff, but ain’t there supposed to be three of us on a team.” Dio fished around inside the pockets of his longcoat and drew out a bracelet: Alice’s bracelet. He spun it around on his finger as he winked at Phi. “See? Three of us. I don’t hear you complaining that Alice should help out more. Course, if she hadn’t offed herself…”

“Dio. Shut up.”

Phi walked past Dio and sat down in the yellow seat. She composed herself then looked up, ready to solve this very last puzzle.

 

Before Phi could press anything, the array of screens changed. Where they had shown a green background, they suddenly went black. Phi thought for a moment that they had broken, or that the junction box had been turned off again, but before she could get too worried terse white text appeared on the black background, spilling over from one screen to the next as if the entire array was one giant monitor.

‘Emergency Override: Puzzle Suspended.

‘Transmission Detected.

‘To receive transmission at this terminal, press Enter.’

Phi did so, curious about the contents of this sudden transmission.

‘Error: Security Clearance Required.

‘Transmitted data cannot be downloaded to this terminal until user with sufficient clearance level has logged on.’

That was very annoying. In fact, it seemed to break the security room’s puzzle entirely. The computer had suspended the puzzle so that the terminals in the room could be used to receive the transmission, but it also wouldn’t let them actually play the transmission because they didn’t have high enough security clearance. In the worst case scenario, that meant that the computers had frozen entirely; Phi and Dio would never be able to continue the puzzle. Was this something Zero hadn’t expected? Something that he had missed?

Before Phi could articulate her concerns, however, the screen provided one more piece of information.

‘Source of Transmission: SOIS Recovery Beacon #1295029.’

“SOIS!” Dio roared.

He yanked Phi out of the yellow seat by the neck and shoved her aside. As Phi recovered, Dio crashed down into the seat and hunched over the keyboard. He started to type, but his fingers fumbled; he still held Alice’s bracelet in his left hand. Phi stood up just in time to catch the bracelet as Dio thrust it forcefully into her hands. Freed from the tangle caused by Alice’s bracelet, Dio’s hands raced across the keyboard, typing command after command as fast as was humanly possible: so fast that before each line of computer code could possibly be read, it vanished from the screen and was replaced by the next. Eventually Dio seemed satisfied with what he had typed; he relaxed back in the seat and pressed enter.

‘Security Clearance Accepted: Transmission Downloaded.’

How had Dio done that? That hadn’t been an ordinary log-in: it had been far too complex for that. Somehow, Dio had hacked into Zero’s computer system and convinced it that he was someone qualified to receive this transmission.

The transmission was an audio file and it immediately started playing. It was almost silent at first, with only a few hints of echoes to prove that the file was actually playing. Eventually, however, a brusque feminine voice started speaking and despite the low crackling fidelity of the transmission, Phi recognised it immediately. It was Alice’s voice.

“SOIS agent 1295029 reporting,” Alice said.

That confirmed everything Phi had suspected earlier. Alice had been a SOIS agent. This transmission must have been something Alice had recorded before she died, waiting until now before some automated system caused it to be transmitted. By the looks of it, the transmission wasn’t aimed at the security room: it was just broadcast in all directions, hoping that the right person or people would hear it. Phi guessed that the transmission was intended to reach Alice’s superiors at her shadowy organisation.

Getting straight to the point, Alice continued, “Someone’s started another Nonary Game. I don’t know who started it or where, but that’s where Clover and I were taken. I’ll explain as much as I can, because I… I don’t have much time.” Alice coughed heavily. This recording had to have been made moments before the Radical-6 claimed Alice’s life, and it showed in the wavering roughness of her voice. Reflexively, Phi clenched her hand around Alice’s bracelet. “They poisoned us… all nine of the players, probably… with something. Radical-6. I can feel it eating away at my mind. I had to cut this recovery beacon out of my body to use it, and as I did something at the back of my mind kept telling me… no, keeps telling me… that I should stab the blade in deeper. That I should just get it over with! I’m trying to stay sane, but I don’t know how long I have left. I’ve failed. I know I’ve failed.”

Alice then explained the structure of the Nonary Game to whoever it was that she hoped was hearing this message. Alice also included short descriptions of the other players: Phi was relieved to note that Alice hadn’t discovered and broadcast anything incriminating about Phi herself.

Then Alice mentioned something new. “There’s a Myrmidon here. I found…” Alice’s coughing resumed, drowning out the words she was trying to say. “… by the Ambidex Rooms. It had their logo on it. It proves one of those terrorist bastards is here! I don’t think it’s the Myrmidons who are running the Nonary Game, though. If they were, they wouldn’t have had to leave incriminating evidence out where anyone could find it. But I couldn’t find out who it is. I didn’t…” Alice groaned, her mental anguish forcing its way out. “… have time,” Alice concluded once she’d recovered.

Alice’s transmission had one last thing to say. “If I don’t survive… I recommend Clover for a promotion. She deserves it. It’s… been an honour to serve with her. She’s stayed strong this entire time. I don’t… think I’m going to last long enough to escape. Clover will. Clover will seek a way out. I know it. I…” The transmission suddenly cut off. The audio file just ended there. Alice’s final message had finished.

 

With the transmission dealt with, the computer override ended and the three-by-three array of screens returned to being part of the security room’s puzzle: a green background and a single word of white text showing on each screen. Dio hauled himself out of the yellow seat and glared at Phi, daring her to say something. Phi didn’t.

Phi sat down in the seat Dio had vacated, ready to continue the puzzle. Intriguing and poignant as Alice’s transmission was, it wouldn’t matter if Phi couldn’t escape the security room. Phi’s eyes scanned the nine words in front of her. In order, they were:

‘Me, Be, I.  
‘Was, Will, Everything.  
‘You, Knows, She.’

Phi noticed that six of those nine words came from the phrases that she had revealed by solving the hexagon puzzles. The controls on the workbench in front of her, originally intended to control the feeds from surveillance cameras, allowed her to transfer the words from one screen to another until the two phrases, ‘I Was You,’ and, ‘Will be Me,’ were displayed clearly on the first two rows of screens. This didn’t immediately solve the puzzle, but when Phi deactivated the bottom row of screens so that only the relevant two phrases remained, all nine screens changed, showing a very familiar safe password.

Behind her, Phi heard Dio spin around and rush over to the safe. He had seen the safe password, and had hastily gone to open the safe up. There was no way Phi would be able to get there first.

Instead Phi wondered about the other three words that had been shown on the array of nine screens. Everything Zero had placed in his puzzles so far had been calculated, chosen with a purpose. It was very unlikely that those three words were merely intended as clutter to distract the players. When the safe password faded away and the words returned, Phi tested her hypothesis; she removed the words she had already used and restored the final three words. There was only one sentence those three words could possibly form; Phi arranged them.

“‘She knows everything,’” Dio muttered, quoting the screen. He had finished opening the safe and was standing by the exit door, key in hand. “Ha! As if. Well, I’m done here. I’m off, see ya later!” Seeming strangely flustered, Dio jammed the key in its hole and unlocked the exit door. The moment the door opened Dio sprinted through. He didn’t even wait for the other safe password – the one that would produce the gold file – to be displayed. Looked like Dio didn’t care about stealing it half so much this time.

But Phi was still there, and when the second safe password was displayed, Phi memorised it. She went over to the safe. It was still open after Dio had taken the key out of it, and Phi quickly searched through it. Only a single AB keycard remained; Dio must have taken his along with the key. Phi noted that Dio hadn’t thought of taking both keycards to frustrate her. Yes, Dio must be flustered: normally he’d have instinctively taken the path of maximum annoyance to everyone else. Grateful to whatever had distracted Dio, Phi pocketed her card. Then Phi closed the safe and opened it up again using the other password. As expected, the gold file was there. Phi flipped through it, scanning for any interesting information. Her attention was quickly drawn to one page in particular.

Its title was ‘Myrmidon’s Knife’.

Myrmidon. That was the word that Alice had used in her final message. Of course, Phi was familiar with the mythical Myrmidons of ancient Greece: legendary warriors commanded by Achilles. But Phi doubted that was what Alice was referring to. After all, Alice had said one of them was here, in the Nonary Game, and had referred to them as terrorists. This must be some other more modern organisation, using the same name. As Phi scanned the page, a subtle headache sprung to life behind her forehead; Phi shook her head to dismiss it and carried on.

The page described the Myrmidon’s knife: ‘A small survival knife. It has ‘Myrmidons’ stamped into the flat of the blade. Dimensions: 150mm x 30mm x 3mm.’ Those were exactly the dimensions of the wound that killed the old lady. Was the gold file suggesting that it was this particular knife that had killed her? If so, that confirmed Alice’s claim that there was a Myrmidon in the facility. But it also meant that Zero Sr. – who else could have placed the gold file in the safe? – knew that the old lady would be murdered with the Myrmidon’s knife. Phi continued down to the bottom of the page where there was a black-and-white photograph of a Myrmidon’s knife. It looked very ordinary to Phi, apart from the engraving of the word ‘Myrmidons’, but something about it struck her as peculiarly familiar.

Having gleaned everything she could about the knife, Phi flipped to a different page. The article on this one was titled ‘Gentle-points’. ‘These are a measure of how much of a gentleman you are. Somewhere deep in Great Britain is an organization that tracks all gentlemen, determining their calibre based off an ancient and byzantine collection of rules and guidelines. Every year during the spring, a representative of this organization conducts a cursory investigation of each member's behaviour (or at least appears to) and then awards gentle-points based on what they saw.’ The article then described so-called ‘gentlemanly’ behaviours that would grant gentle-points.

Dio had mentioned gentle-points. Had Zero Sr. written this article as a clue to her about Dio? After all, Zero was the one who had chosen the bracelet colourings, and must have known that Phi would be against Dio this round. If he had known that they would enter the security room… but how would he know? The players had the choice to go through any of the White Chromatic Doors. Unable to answer that question, Phi carried on reading. With a snort, she noted that none of the criteria for being a gentleman actually required being a decent person. Even the part about helping old ladies across the road… well, Dio was exactly the sort of person to help a lady across the road and into a piranha tank. This seemed like exactly the sort of organisation for Dio.

Phi tucked away the gold file. She could read more later. There was one more thing she had to do before leaving. She returned to the computers at the other end of the security room. With the puzzle over, they had returned to normal use; since they had last been used to play Alice’s last message, the details of the transmission were once again displayed on the screen. Phi searched the control panel for the computer, eventually finding a memory card slot with a card inside. Bowing her head, Phi downloaded the audio file onto the card and ejected it. Only now, with the memory card held securely in her hand, could Phi possibly leave.

Clover would want to hear Alice’s message; Phi would give her that chance.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Did I mention that it was really important - for my plot for this route - to get Phi, Dio and Alice's bracelet into security for this round? I think I mentioned that it was important for Phi, Dio and Alice's bracelet to go into security. Because, yes, my entire plot for this route revolved around this moment, this last message from Alice._

_It's probably clear by now which route I'm making this, so I'd like to talk about it. Finding a potential Alice route was very difficult: she spends so much time unconscious, dead or, even worse,_ with Sigma _, that there wasn't much flexibility. But eventually, I had the idea of having a recording of Alice's voice played back, which would give me something new to add to the story._  
_This was actually my first idea for a route, after noting all the canon jumps Phi does (like e.g. into Dio's route to find the 0 bomb password). At the time, I hadn't done my in depth research playthrough yet and had assumed that Phi and Dio had entered security in this timeline (I knew they weren't in the director's office and believed that they shouldn't be in the Q room), so I jotted the idea down and built my route around it._  
_When I realised that in canon they had in fact entered the Q room, I couldn't change it, and since it's a clear improvement for Phi and Sigma both to only enter the Q room as their very last puzzle, I sent them to security without much regret._

_See you next month!_


	16. Mourning Star

Phi left the security room, Alice’s bracelet in her right hand and the memory card containing Alice’s parting message in her left. Nothing was going to distract her; she would take them back to the floor A warehouse as quickly as possible. The exit from the security room opened up onto the corridor that led from the archives to the floor B warehouse. Having oriented herself, Phi was easily able to find her way back to the elevator shaft.

Phi arrived, without any difficulty, back at the floor A warehouse to find Dio glaring sullenly at Clover, K and Luna. His bad mood had carried over from the security room and was causing him to keep his distance from the other players. Clover, at least, did not seem so wary of her fellow players anymore. She seemed to have entirely accepted the proof that Alice had committed suicide; she was no longer acting as if every other player was a threat to her life.

The only team that hadn’t made it back yet was Sigma’s. That was soon rectified. Only moments after Phi had taken stock of the situation in the warehouse, Sigma strolled in. The very second Dio saw Sigma arrive, he retrieved his Ambidex Room keycard from his coat pocket and swiped it angrily through the card reader.

“An Ambidex Gate has been opened. Forty-five minutes remain until Ambidex Game polling closes.” As usual, the announcement came.

“There. Happy?” Dio snapped at Sigma, “This time I waited for you to get back before I opened it. You see? I can be considerate.”

“But Tenmyouji and Quark aren’t here yet…” Sigma replied hesitantly. It was true: Sigma had entered by himself. For a moment, Phi worried that Quark’s Radical-6 had flared up again. But that couldn’t be true. Quark had been cured. They had all seen that Quark had been cured by the Axelavir. Thankfully, Sigma clarified. “They forgot something back in the room we found. They went back to grab it real quick.”

Dio shrugged. “Then they’ll be here in a few minutes. No big deal.” Having said that, Dio stepped abruptly into the Ambidex Room he had opened and closed it. It was clear that Dio didn’t want to talk to any of the other players for one moment longer.

They settled in to wait. While they waited, Phi questioned Sigma. “So which room did you search? What did Tenmyouji leave behind?”

Sigma scratched the side of his head, then answered, “We were in a place called the… what was it, ‘director’s office’?”

“‘Director’s office’?” Clover piped up, “You mean like, the guy who’s in charge here? Like, Zero Sr.?”

“I dunno,” Sigma replied, “It was just a rather comfy office. We weren’t able to use the computer in there or anything, so I don’t know who it belonged to. Anyway, Tenmyouji showed me a photo of some girl he had a crush on when he was younger. ‘Akane’, or someone. He must have dropped it, because he didn’t have it when we got back to the elevator.”

Phi noticed, intrigued, that this was another room that Zero Sr. had taken a big risk by opening up. Just as opening up the security room had given Phi had Dio too much access to the facility’s computers, by allowing Sigma, Tenmyouji and Quark into his own office – assuming it was Zero Sr.’s own office – Zero Sr. had potentially given the players many clues to Zero’s own identity. It was as though Zero was running out of space in which to play the Nonary Game, meaning he had to put puzzles in whichever rooms he had available, no matter the risk.

Once Sigma had finished describing the director’s office, Phi turned to asked K, Luna and Clover about the room they had searched.

“It was really, really, really, really, really, really hard!” Clover said emphatically. She took a deep gulp of air to recover her breath from that outburst, then continued, “It had literally _all_ the puzzles in there.”

K chuckled. “Clover exaggerates. Though the puzzles in the ‘Q’ room we found were rather numerous, we were able to, ah, get through without too much trouble. Luna in particular was able to solve many of the puzzles with admirable efficiency.”

Luna blushed humbly. “Oh, it was nothing…”

“Wait, ‘Q’ room?” Phi asked, “What the hell’s a ‘Q’ room?”

“We don’t know,” K stated, “Though there was plenty of equipment in the room, almost all of it was just one form of puzzle or another. I could not find any hint of any other purpose that the room could have.”

Clover tilted her head to one side. “Well, there was that computer above the safe, but we couldn’t log in. But, yeah, I have no clue either.”

Luna shook her head apologetically as well.

Finally, everyone’s attention came to Phi. Phi considered showing everyone the memory card with Alice’s transmission on it, but refrained. Clover would want to see it first. It should be Clover’s choice who else got to see it. Phi attempted to describe the security room without mentioning it. Eventually, Phi concluded, “And I was hoping that we’d be able to unlock some of the doors from the computer terminal, but it only controlled the surveillance cameras. I guess Zero wanted to keep all the doors under the control of his pet AI.” Despite having searched three more rooms, the players were no closer to uncovering the secrets of the Nonary Game.

 

Despite all the time they had spent talking, Tenmyouji and Quark still hadn’t arrived back yet. “Don’t you think they’re taking a little long?” Phi pointed out to the others.

Luna nodded. “Yes. I’m getting worried… What if something happened to them?”

On cue, Sigma started marching towards the magenta door. “I’ll go have a look,” he announced, “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine by myself. It’s not that far away.”

Clover smiled cryptically. “Just don’t look into the abyss too long. You might become a monster.” That was… morbid… coming from Clover.

It seemed Sigma didn’t know how to respond either. “That’s… um, I don’t think… Okay? Look, I’m just going to the director’s office. I’ll be right back. No big deal.” With that, Sigma left.

There was a lull in the conversation. If Phi was ever going to show Clover Alice’s final message, now was the time. “Hey, Clover!” Phi beckoned her over. Clover approached, but Phi noticed that most of the bounce in Clover’s step had fallen away. When Clover arrived, she glared at Phi expectantly, waiting for her to speak. “I have something to show you,” Phi said firmly, “It’s about Alice.”

At the mention of that name, Clover’s eyes lit up with an intense, wounded glare. “Phi…” Clover began saying, the returning suspicion deepening Clover’s voice.

Phi shook her head to dismiss Clover’s questions and led her towards the infirmary. The computer in the infirmary had played an audio file on a memory card successfully before; it could do so again. Once Clover had entered through the yellow door behind her, Phi turned around and sighed. “I found a parting message from Alice,” Phi stated bluntly. Best to get it done with.

“Alice’s recovery beacon! You found Alice’s beacon?” Clover knew exactly what Phi was talking about. “Where? When?”

“I didn’t find it, exactly. It transmitted its message. I was able to pick it up in the security room.” Phi grabbed Clover’s hand and placed the memory card firmly in her grip. “It's downloaded onto here.”

Clover raised the memory card to her face and gazed at it wondrously. Almost entranced, Clover stumbled over to the computer screen and fumbled the memory card into the slot: Clover was so distracted that she placed it in the wrong way round at first, and had to flip it over before it would settle. Once the message had started playing, Clover turned forlornly to Phi. “Can I… um, can I listen to this by myself? I mean, I know you’ve already heard it, but, um…”

Phi complied. She left the infirmary by the exit door without another word. Once the door had fully close behind her, Phi leaned against the cold metal wall and sunk to the ground, emotionally exhausted. Through the thin wall, Phi could hear Alice’s final message as it started playing. Of course, it was the same as when Phi had first heard it. When it reached the end and cut off, Clover grunted and rewound it back to the start. She listened again. And again. And again. On the sixth play through, Phi heard Clover begin to sob: softly, uncontrollably. At the end, Clover rewound again. On the seventh run through, when Clover reached Alice’s line, ‘It’s been an honour to serve with her,’ she rewound just enough to hear that one single sentence several times over. Phi stayed where she was; she let Clover do what she had to in order to get out her grief.

But then, halfway through the ninth play-through, a desperate, enraged shout came from Clover. “No! No! Go away!”

Phi rushed back in, anxious about what was happening in the infirmary. She arrived to find K standing just inside the entrance door. He didn’t seem to have done anything, but Clover was advancing on him furiously, tears streaming from her eyes.

“No! Don’t listen in! This isn’t _for_ you! Go away, already!” There was a ringing slap of skin on metal as Clover thrust the heel of her palm into K’s armour.

K staggered back, not resisting Clover’s fury at all. Once he’d recovered, he shook his head ruefully. “Oh my! I am truly sorry. I only came in here to inform you that Tenmyouji and Quark have returned. I did not mean to interrupt.”

Clover continued to pound away at K’s chest. Phi came up behind Clover and, timing her move correctly between Clover’s punches, restrained Clover’s arm. Once she’d manoeuvred Clover far enough away from K, Phi let go and sternly said, “Clover, calm down. K didn’t mean any trouble. We’re going now, alright.” Phi raised her finger to her lips, shushed K, and escorted him from the room.

 

K and Phi emerged from the yellow door and arrived back in the floor A warehouse. As K had mentioned, Tenmyouji and Quark had returned and were standing stiffly by the AB rooms. Strangely, Sigma was not back in the warehouse yet.

“Hey, did you find what you were looking for?” Phi asked as she approached Tenmyouji.

Tenmyouji rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought. “Yeah,” he replied vaguely, “and much more beside.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Tenmyouji shook his head ruefully. “I don’t want to tell you yet. I need to have a think about it first. Sorry.”

The conversation died away. For at least ten minutes, the players waited in silence for Sigma and Clover to return. And eventually, Clover did.

Though there were no longer tears, Clover held her hand to her face to mask the redness in her eyes as she stumbled through the yellow door. Her intense emotional reaction to Alice’s final message was demonstrated in every single motion. Not saying a word, and with her head bowed, Clover stepped closer and closer to Phi. And then, Clover drew Phi into a deep hug.

“Clover… uh, can’t breathe…”

Clover still held on, but lessened her bear-hug slightly so that Phi could take a breath. Though she was no longer crying, Clover buried her face into Phi’s shoulder. As Phi patted Clover awkwardly on the back, Clover babbled, “Thank you Phi! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!” When Clover, by whatever yardstick she was using, decided Phi had been hugged enough, she released Phi, though only long enough for Phi to steady herself before Clover grabbed Phi by the shoulders and stared deeply and pleadingly into Phi’s eyes. “Phi… can I ask you a favour? Pleeeeeease?! Pretty please? Can you help me find that Myrmidon Alice was talking about? It’s what Alice would want us to do.”

“Sure,” Phi said, nodding firmly, “What’s up with these ‘Myrmidons’, anyway? The message didn’t really say.”

Clover scratched the side of her mouth thoughtfully. “Well… um… yeah, I think I can tell you. You know enough already that I’m not breaking toooo many rules if I tell you.” Clover led Phi over to the other side of the warehouse and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Well, you know Alice and I work for SOIS, right? The Myrmidons are one of the terrorist organisations we’re protecting everyone from.”

Clover explained that the Myrmidons were the militant arm of a radical new religion, Free the Soul. Devoutly following the mysterious tenets of Free the Soul, the Myrmidons had blown up research laboratories, kidnapped and murdered prominent politicians; they had even managed to steal experimental drugs from under the noses of SOIS itself. But it was just one of the Myrmidons’ many crimes that concerned Alice in particular.

“They kidnapped Alice’s dad. He was a biologist studying some sort of cloning thing. The Myrmidons kidnapped him because of that: forced him to work for them for thirty years. That’s why Alice joined SOIS. She wanted to find her dad.

“We were so close! We’d nearly found their base. But the Myrmidons found out we were getting too close to them. They captured me, interrogated me. Then they killed Alice’s dad, right in front of me. I didn’t know until then that anyone could be so callous, but they were able to kill him without any reaction at all. Alice rescued me before they did anything like that to me, obviously: she came in all guns blazing the moment she’d found out the Myrmidons had got me. But she was too late to save her father. I think the Myrmidons had killed him to send a warning to her, to make her back off, but she wasn’t gonna listen. She wanted to get revenge, no matter what.

“But, um… I think that might have been why she killed herself. Why the Radical-6 affected her so much. She’d been looking for the Myrmidons for so long, ever since her father was first taken. But she’d never found them. It took us too long, so she wasn’t able to save her dad. And then our last chance didn’t work out, ’cause we were kidnapped by Zero. She must have felt so hopeless. I thought she’d told me everything, but I guess she never told me how she felt.

“Anyway, that’s why I want us to catch this Myrmidon. If I can do… something, anything… I won’t feel so guilty anymore.”

 

With that, Clover and Phi returned to the others. Tenmyouji was talking to Luna and K, but when he saw Clover and Phi return he included them as well.

“I was just saying that you lot should get into your Ambidex Rooms and cast your votes. We don’t have long left until the AB Game finishes. Quark and I can wait for Sigma: we need to talk to him anyway.”

They all did as Tenmyouji said: Clover joined Luna and opened up an Ambidex Room for the pair of them, while K and Phi did the same individually. Phi still had Alice’s bracelet in her pocket, but since they were partners the Ambidex Room allowed her to press the button to start the AB Game. Once the door had closed behind her, Phi was able to take a breath and compose herself. She resolved that she would help Clover find out the identity of the Myrmidon. After hearing Clover’s story, it was the least she could do.

But first, she had to complete the Ambidex Game. The familiar buttons – ‘Ally’, ‘Betray’ – were waiting for her on the Ambidex Room’s terminal. Since it was once again obvious what she should choose, she strolled confidently forward and pressed…

 **Choice:**  
**A)     Ally  
** **B)     Betray**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_We're at another AB Game, folks. As always, you can vote for which choice Phi will make by leaving a comment._

_Also, I'll go back to posting every two weeks now. I think I've maintained my buffer enough to cope. See you then!_


	17. Last Request

As Phi lowered her finger towards the screen, she noticed herself becoming subtly woozy. She had no idea where the dizziness came from. Still, with her eyes blurring over, there was no way Phi could press the button yet. She had to take the utmost caution: an error during this Ambidex Game would be fatal.

Phi leaned against the wall and focused on taking deep, measured breaths. The regular rhythm soothed Phi and allowed her to take the mental fight to the sick feeling that had crept up on her. Eventually, the mist dispersed from her eyes and the accompanying headache receded. Only now could Phi trust herself to press the button.

Naturally, she chose ‘Betray’.

As the AB Gates opened, Phi calmly looked around at the other players as they left their own AB Rooms. She caught Dio’s eye; he scowled at her, almost snarling. He certainly bore no goodwill towards Phi. Fortunately, she had already protected herself sufficiently.

Then Phi looked around and saw Clover, standing on tiptoes at the other end of the group clustered around the results screen. She looked conflicted. When Clover noticed Phi’s attention on her, she gave a slight nod, but nothing more. Phi had expected Clover to have come over to her again, to discuss finding the Myrmidon’s identity, but instead Clover had stayed away.

Before Phi could ponder this further, the results screen activated.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

Clover                             8                              Betray                   +3                           11  
Luna                                1                                                          +3                            4

K                                     8                              Ally                       -2                            6

 

Tenmyouji                       8                              Betray                   +3                           11  
Quark                              8                                                          +3                           11

Sigma                              3                              Ally                       -2                            1

 

Phi                                   1                              Betray                   0                             1  
Alice                                3                                                           0                             3

Dio                                  6                              Betray                   0                             6

 

After round three of the Ambidex Game, three players had enough BP to escape: Tenmyouji, Quark… and Clover. They could open the Number Nine Door at any time they chose to. But they didn’t leave quite yet. Tenmyouji and Quark looked sheepishly over at Sigma as he confronted them about their betrayal. And at the same time, Clover approached Phi, head hung low with guilt.

Phi folded her arms defensively. “I thought you were planning on searching for the you-know-who,” she said bluntly. Even now, Phi took care to keep the nature of that person secret from the other players. If the Myrmidons were as dangerous as Clover claimed, it wouldn’t do to tip them off.

“I was!” Clover insisted forcefully, “But I think Alice would want me to escape. Don’t you? That means I can’t stay, even though I really, really want to. Sorry.” Before Phi could say anything else, Clover turned away. Then, as an afterthought, Clover added something else. “If you wanna find that bastard, you should go and find Alice’s recovery beacon. Not just the transmitted data: the thing itself. Alice might have put some more clues on it before she… you know.”

Clover jogged – though her pace was forced, somewhat stilted – towards the Number Nine Door. The moment she arrived, she placed her hands firmly around the lever. She yanked it down.

As Clover waited for the door to rise, the other players – the ones who couldn’t leave – frustratedly questioned her. “Are you really going to leave?” Luna asked.

“Well… yeah. Why else would I open the door? I’m going to call the others. So we can capture Zero Sr.”

Tenmyouji also started to head towards the Number Nine Door. Quark trailed hesitantly behind him for a couple of steps, then turned back towards Sigma.

Clover, seeing Quark move away from the open door, called out. “Let’s go! C’mon, guys! Time to move!”

“Wait!” Quark replied. He took a folded up piece of paper out of one of the compartments in his helmet and shoved it into Sigma’s hand. “This is for you, Mr. Sigma! It’s a letter. I wanted to tell you what kind of guy Grandpa is… so read it, okay? See you later, Mr. Sigma.” With that done, Quark ran through the Number Nine Door into the darkness beyond.

Tenmyouji followed, and finally Clover stepped over the threshold. With a surprisingly solemn nod in Phi’s direction Clover whispered, “Goodbye…”

Then, the Number Nine Door closed. “The Number Nine Door has closed. This ends the Nonary Game. Thank you for your participation. As the game is over, all doors other than the Number Nine Door have been unlocked. Escape is not possible. Please enjoy your stay.”

 

The Nonary Game was over, but Phi found herself optimistic. Of all the groups of people who could leave, this was one of the best. She was sure that Clover would do her best to rescue the five players trapped behind her. At the very least, Clover would be drawn back by Alice’s memory.

Phi surveyed the faces of the remaining players for their reactions. Dio had retreated to the corner and was sulking, glaring out into the warehouse with pure hatred. Sigma was more subdued. He merely looked down at the letter that Quark had given him and wandered off to the lounge to read it. Phi didn’t follow him: what had happened between Sigma, Tenmyouji and Quark should stay between them, just as Phi had kept Clover’s secrets to the very end. Instead Phi approached K and Luna.

“I’m sorry, K,” Luna said meekly, “I was there in the Ambidex Room when she chose ‘Betray’, but… I couldn’t bring myself to stop her. She was so… intense. But if I’d been more firm, if I’d stopped her, you could have left as well.”

K lifted his hand and used it to mime a polite laugh, defusing the tension. “Do not worry. I do not hold anything against either of you. After I surprised Clover in her private moment, it is only natural that she would mistrust me.” Then K saw Phi approaching. “Ah, Phi! You were the last to speak to Clover both before the Ambidex Game and before she left, were you not? Did she say…? I don’t quite know how to ask.”

“Then I don’t quite know how to answer,” Phi replied.

K chuckled for real this time. “Fair enough. What did you intend to do now? Despite the end of the Nonary Game, I still believe it will be worthwhile to continue exploring the facility. There must be plenty of secrets here left to find, and it would be to our advantage if we have uncovered them by the time the rescuers sent by Clover, Tenmyouji and Quark reach us. Besides, I still want to restore my missing memories. Throughout the game, I kept getting… hints, you might say, that I was on the cusp of recovering from amnesia. Alas. I hope that searching the rooms unlocked in the third round might jog my memories.”

Luna agreed. “I think I’ll search as well. I want to have a look around the Director’s office and see what it was that had Tenmyouji so spooked when he returned. Um, if that’s okay with you, K?”

“Of course. I shall search security instead, then.”

Having decided on a course of action, K and Luna left.

 

Now Phi had to decide what to do as well. Even if it was pointless, she’d go crazy not having a goal to aim towards. The first thing that came to mind was fulfilling Clover’s request: to find the identity of the Myrmidon in the Nonary Game. Clover’s suggestion had been to find Alice’s recovery beacon. So that was where Phi would start.

But where was it? Phi couldn’t remember seeing anything that could have possibly been the beacon when the players had searched Alice’s body after her death. Still, that was no reason to give up. Using logic, Phi could easily attempt to narrow down the search space. None of the other players had seen Alice record her final message, and the frantic tone of that message proved that it had been made in Alice’s last moments of sanity. Alice must have recorded it in the crew quarters: the same room she had died in.

Phi went there. The grisly scene was much as she remembered, though Alice’s blood had dried to a witheringly dull red. Having a good idea of what she was looking for, Phi quickly searched through Alice’s clothes. But it was futile: Alice hadn’t kept her beacon on her own person. Sheepishly, Phi realised with hindsight that keeping the beacon away from her body was Alice’s obvious course of action. She wouldn’t have wanted any of the other players to discover it before it had successfully transmitted its message. Also, aware of her own deteriorating mental state, Alice would also have wanted the recovery beacon protected from her own actions. Who knew what the Radical-6 could have warped Alice’s mind into doing to it? It had, after all, managed to force Alice to commit suicide.

But despite the sensible logic behind Alice’s actions, it still ended up frustrating Phi’s search. The better Alice protected the recovery beacon, the harder it was for Phi to find it. If the beacon wasn’t on Alice’s body then, with so many nooks and crannies in the crew quarters, the beacon might as well be anywhere. Phi had no choice: if she wanted to fulfil Clover’s request, then she would just have to start a brute force search. It would be tedious and almost certainly futile, but Phi had no other choice.

After all, there was no way she could just magically guess the recovery beacon’s location, right?

 

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_I'm afraid there's one more Plot Lock to get through before we reach the end of this route:_   **Plot Lock 6** **: Lost and Found.**   _Until we find some more Plot Keys, we've exhausted everything behind the yellow door. Therefore, our only choice is to go back to the first choice of Chromatic Door (Chapter 2) and either:_  
_1) Choose to take Luna through the Magenta Door._  
_2) Choose to take Alice through the Cyan Door._  
_If you have a preference, please leave a comment to vote._


	18. In the Drink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter follows chapter 2: we've gone all the way back to the first choice and will now take Luna through the Magenta door.

“Luna, the magenta door!” This choice seemed obvious to Phi: it kept Clover and Alice together, also agreed with Tenmyouji’s wishes, and brought the mild amiable Luna into her team. As soon as she had finished saying it she was in rapid motion, running towards the magenta door. Sigma and Luna reacted admirably swiftly, and the three of them piled through into the holding area behind the magenta door.

Clover reacted with a delighted jump, and she and Alice led a bemused K in the direction of the Yellow door. Overwhelmingly outvoted, Dio had no choice but to trudge after Quark and Tenmyouji towards the cyan door. The magenta door stayed open just long enough for Phi to confirm that everyone had made it inside their respective rooms; as it closed, Phi felt a profound sense of relief.

“Thank you, Sigma,” Luna said as Sigma helped her up from where she had tumbled in the chaotic rush. She smiled demurely at Sigma and held his arm tightly for a while even after she was upright. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, her face drifting remorsefully down, “I was too slow… I should have… And it got so hectic… It nearly… Never mind.” She seemed to be having some difficulty choosing which words to articulate her guilt with, or even deciding what it was she had failed at.

“Don’t worry,” Sigma replied, “We all got a little bit out of control there. Anyway, we’re all in now.”

Sensors whirled around the room, scanning the three people trapped inside. They watched the sensors rise for an agonising amount of time until finally they were bathed in a pale pink glow and the secondary door opened.

 

They were released into a luxuriously adorned room at the end of a long corridor that appeared to run parallel with the wall of the warehouse they had just left. Though the walls showed the same mistreatment and grime as the warehouse had, this room had an aura of complete relaxation; Phi succumbed to it, collapsing onto one of the sofas with exhaustion. She rummaged around the silk cushions and found a faded old magazine, which she read as she settled herself delicately into the corner.

The magazine’s cover declared it to be the ‘Astronomy Today’ magazine, and described a lunar eclipse that was due on New Year’s Eve. Astronomy was not something Phi had much experience with, but the pictures and explanation inside the magazine were basic enough, as well as vividly illustrating the likely view of the eclipse from Earth, that it made for quite an engaging read. Phi’s eyes scanned across the page, following the narrative of the article as it portrayed the entry of the Moon into the Earth’s shadow, the reddening tint of the moon’s glow as the blue light was refracted down to the Earth by its atmosphere, and finally, the gradual end of the eclipse as the moon began to seek a way out of the darkness.

Phi looked up from the magazine to see Sigma and Luna on opposite sides of a drinks bar. Luna was pouring a sweetly alluring, almost-certainly-alcoholic, blue drink into a cocktail glass held cheerfully by Sigma.

“You do realise this probably isn’t the best time to be getting drunk,” Phi said.

Sigma chuckled, and took a cheeky sip of the liquid. “You have time to read, I have time to get drunk.” He pointed at the magazine Phi still held.

“Ugh!” Phi located the drink disposal drain at the end of the bar. In three quick strides she was by Sigma’s side; she snatched the glass out of his hand and took it over to the drain. Though she grasped the stem of the cocktail glass tensely for a few seconds, she resisted the temptation, pouring the liquid to a well-deserved end.

“Hey!” Sigma exclaimed. Once he realised the alcohol was gone he slumped back onto the bar stool. “Besides, we were doing something, not just drinking. We checked out the exit door. It’s locked up tight.” He pointed out the door behind him; to the right of it was a mechanism; it read ‘LOCK’ in obstinate digital letters just above a keyhole. “So we went to the bar to have a look at this…”

“And have a drink.” Phi interjected.

“And have a drink,” Sigma said, “But this looks really important!” He stretched out his arms to frame a screen at the far end of the counter. “This looks like the one in the AB rooms, the one that gave us the safe password. There’s another safe in here, right, and if we can open it we can get the AB room keycards and get out of here.”

Phi had to agree with him. This room was a puzzle waiting to be solved. “We need to look around this room for clues,” she said, “Let’s go.”

 

Phi searched the side of the room closest to the entry door, while Sigma went to the table opposite the bar. She quickly found the safe on a shelf next to a door that had been welded up; it was identical to the one in the elevator, down to the same three by three grid for entering the password. On the lowest level of the shelf was a pair of cabinet doors, which Phi opened. There were two items inside, both of considerable interest. The first was a quarter of a sphere, marked in three places with dark mottled blotches. By sliding the doors the other way, Phi accessed the second item: a scrap of paper with clumsy disjointed writing on it. Phi peered at it until she had interpreted the messy handwriting accurately:

“Three customers came in today, a couple and their son. The father sat in the centre, with the mother on the left and the son on the right. When I came to take their order they said the following:

“Father: ‘My wife likes the colour red, and I like white. My son has always liked Ocean.’

“Mother: ‘My son has loved the colour blue ever since he was a child. My husband likes Island, and I like Planet.’

“Son: ‘My mother and I like Moon. My father likes anything green’

“One of them was a liar, but I swiftly made their drinks and handed them over.”

Phi considered this; it looked like a classic logic puzzle. The first step was to work out which of the three characters was lying. There was a lot of distracting detail in the message but Phi filtered it out and realised that the son contradicted the mother and the father: he was the liar. From the other two statements it was easy enough to work out all the preferences: the father liked white and island, the mother liked red and planet, and the son liked blue and ocean.

But even though Phi had solved the puzzle, something still bothered her about the writing. The grammar was very unusual; wouldn’t you normally write ‘My son has always liked _the_ ocean’? It couldn’t be an anagram like in the warehouse since it was far too long to conceivably have been an intentional anagram.

 

Phi stood up from where she had been kneeling by the shelves and looked around the rest of the room. At the table, more or less exactly where she’d last seen him, stood Sigma, who was fiddling with what looked like pieces of a globe. So that’s what the quarter-sphere in the cabinet was for.

“Looking for this?” She handed him the piece.

Sigma slotted the final piece into place and snapped the completed globe into its stand. “I have no idea why I just did that,” he stated, deadpan, “but it was there, so I did it.”

Phi passed him and continued heading towards the bar, following a hunch about the logic puzzle and its solution. She leaned on the counter and looked at Luna, who was still behind it.

“You’re not doing much, Luna,” she commented.

Luna tilted her head to one side. “But… you and Sigma… you seem to be having so much fun doing it yourself,” she said hesitantly.

“Never mind,” Phi said, “I was wondering what you made of this.” She handed Luna the scrap of paper.

“Oh my… I’ve never been that good at logic puzzles…”

“I’ve already solved it,” Phi interrupted, “What do you think about the words it’s using: ‘Island’, ‘Planet’, ‘Ocean’. The message seems to be from a bartender, so I thought there might be a clue here.”

Luna read the writing thoughtfully. Just as Phi was giving up on getting Luna’s help, Luna nodded and handed a bottle to Phi; it had contained the drink Luna had poured for Sigma. Phi read the label.

“‘Moon’ alcohol?” she asked Luna.

“There were several others like that,” Luna explained, “and there were also some coloured liqueurs as well. Do you want me to mix some drinks for you?”

Phi surveyed the drinks on offer. “Yes, get me a…” Phi quickly recalled the solution to the puzzle. “… White Island, a Red Planet, and a Blue Ocean.”

Luna was pouring the liquids into the cocktail glasses when she paused. “What do you want me to do with these?” she asked, presenting a pair of golden needles, one slightly shorter and thicker than the other, to Phi. “They were in one of the glasses.”

“I dunno, just keep hold of them,” Phi snapped back. She was starting to find Luna’s passivity very disconcerting. Didn’t Luna want to escape the room just as much as she and Sigma did?!

Luna finished pouring the drinks and gently handed the glasses to Phi. Phi edged right along the bar counter over to the screen that Sigma had pointed out. In front of the screen were three indentations in the metal, lit from underneath by a pale glow. Phi carefully placed the glass into place: first the father’s White Island in the centre, then the mother’s Red Planet on the left. Finally, swilling the alcohol around the glass in a flourish, she lowered the son’s drink into the right hand indentation.

Then she took it out again.

Then she put it back in again.

Then out again.

“What?! I’m sure I got it right!”

Each time she placed the glass into its slot, all three glasses and the screen lit up with a discouraging red light; the screen refused to do anything else, much less show a password. Frustrated, Phi pushed herself forcefully back from the bar counter. She was about to turn around to see what Sigma was doing what Luna spoke up.

“Phi, can I see the note again, please?” Luna asked timidly. Phi passed it over and Luna glanced at it. “Hey, Phi, this note says it was written by the bartender…” Luna trailed off, looking at Phi expectantly. She appeared to know the answer: something Phi had missed.

Why didn’t she just give her the answer? Of course, sometimes it was nicer to work out the answer yourself, kindling the spark of satisfaction inside, but surely Luna realised that this Nonary game was too consequential to waste any time on niceties like that.

Phi was preparing something sarcastic to say to Luna when she realised what Luna was hinting at. The bartender was on the other side of the counter when he wrote the note; his ‘left’ and ‘right’ were the other way around!

Phi swapped two of the glasses – the Red Planet and the Blue Ocean – and the indentations responded again, this time indicating her success with a gentle blue glow.

“Sigma, we’ve got another password for you,” Phi called, looking at the screen.

 

Phi didn’t even see Sigma approach the screen; he must have just glanced at it, memorised it immediately, and then headed to the safe. Phi left him to it. Since the glow on the password screen had been blue she assumed this password wouldn’t let them escape but would give them a gold file just like the one in the elevator. Instead she considered the needles Luna had found with the cocktail glasses. She took one off Luna and started comparing it to other items in the room. Eventually she found what she was looking for: an elaborate golden clock face with words similar to the brands of the alcohol on them. It was missing its hands, but Luna and Phi quickly recognised the needles as them and returned them to the clock face.

Phi noticed that the hands were not turning, even though they were securely attached to the mechanism. She wondered if that meant they had to turn the hands to a specific time to activate it, but as she was considering what the clue might be to tell them what time to use she was distracted by Sigma.

“We’ve got another gold file,” he said – Phi noticed that Luna wasn’t particularly ruffled by Sigma’s announcement; perhaps Luna had also found the file in her elevator – “Doesn’t seem to be that much useful stuff in here, it’s just going through the rules again… Wait! This sheet’s talking about lunar eclipses. Phi, isn’t that what you were reading about earlier?”

Phi picked up the magazine from where she had left it on the couch and compared it to the sheet of paper Sigma gave her. Though the description from the gold file was accurate enough, it seemed sparse compared to the colourful and amateur-friendly explanation in the magazine.

‘…Incidentally, the game refers to a lunar eclipse on New Year's Eve in 2028, which is (or rather, will be) an actual event. It will be visible only in the eastern hemisphere at 16:52.’ Phi wondered why the note from Zero was confused as to whether the eclipse ‘is, or rather will be, an actual event’. Perhaps it was intended to confuse Zero’s victims so they didn’t know how long they were unconscious before starting the Nonary Game.

Wait, ‘16:52’? Could this time be the one needed for the clock? With that in mind, Phi looked at the magazine again. The magazine claimed the eclipse would strike at 16:50; Phi figured this would be close enough that she could try both times on the clock with ease.

As Phi carefully moved the hands of the clock round to the correct position, noting that they pointed at the words ‘Green Sun’, a glaring beam of light shot out of the clock over Phi’s shoulder and across the centre of the room.

“Ow!” Sigma cried out, “Could you warn me before you do something like that?”

Phi spun around to see Sigma doubled over in pain, his hand cradling the right side of his head just behind where the robotic eye started. He had clearly been blinded by the intense light; Phi wondered if his robotic eye was more sensitive to it than a normal human eye.

“Heh, you’ll survive,” she commented as he recovered, a wry grin on her face to signal that she was sympathetic.

Phi followed the light past Sigma and saw that it focused on the globe that Sigma had assembled, causing the silhouette-like words ‘Blue Planet’ to appear on the surface. On the wall behind the globe the ray projected red letters: ‘Red Moon’. Phi thought for a moment that she perceived other letters between those of ‘Red Moon’, but they were too faint to make out. Instead she focused on the three phrases she could see: they were all types of drinks similar to those that unlocked the blue password.

 

Within moments, all three drinks were made and placed in the correct slots in the bar counter and the screen revealed the second password. Once again the safe opened, this time revealing a veritable pile of items.

“There’s a whole bunch of stuff in here,” Sigma said. He handed a crisp blue sheet of paper to Phi. It looked like a map; Phi traced the outline of what looked like the warehouse with her finger and it seemed to match the actual walls of the warehouse, including six boxes that had to represent the AB rooms.

“It says ‘Floor A’ in the corner,” Luna said. Phi wondered how Luna was able to see the map from behind her and from so far back.

“We can take a close look at it later,” Phi said, “There’s still more stuff in here.”

Sigma took a pair of cards out of the safe and handed one to Phi and the other to Luna. They were shining silver with a logo of a sun and the words ‘Ambidex Room’ printed on them in bold white text. “Now we can get into to AB rooms,” he explained, “But how are we supposed to get back to the warehouse? That’s where the AB rooms are! I’d wanna go back the way we came, but that door’s locked.”

In response to Sigma’s question, Phi pointed out another sheet of paper in the safe.

Sigma picked it up and read it. “It looks like some more rules for the Nonary Game. It goes, ‘Hare…’” Here Sigma chuckled slightly, though Phi didn’t get what the joke was. “‘… are a few more rules for you! Once you’ve opened a door, you can hop through it as much as you like… But! But but but, you have to escape before you can take advantage of this Free Rein Rule!” Sigma did an unnervingly good impression of Zero’s voice.

“So, in other words, once we get out of here, we can get back to the warehouse.” Luna said.

Sigma picked the final item, a small key just the right size for the lock by the exit door, out of the safe. “This key here is the last piece of the puzzle,” he stated, walking towards the door. As the door whirred open, Phi collected her thoughts about the puzzle they had just solved. Though they had completed it quickly and somewhat efficiently, there was some worry still gnawing away at her. Something she couldn’t quite articulate but she hoped could be summed up in three words.

 

Luna was weird.

 

Very weird.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._


	19. Sinister Dreams

Phi, Sigma and Luna strolled out of the lounge and found themselves in a cramped round hub. There was nothing in the room but two doors leading left and right, both of which opened automatically as the three of them strode closer. To the left Phi could see a welcoming glow at the end of the corridor, so she boldly led Sigma and Luna in that direction; Luna followed as passively as she had acted during the puzzle. As Phi reached the light Sigma dodged past her, rushing forward to examine a door that was highlighted by the light as if at the centre of a bull’s-eye.

“Another elevator,” Sigma said, “Looks like a real one this time.”

He was about to call the elevator when Phi heard footsteps running behind them; they turned around to see the other six people piling into the elevator waiting room.

Quark grinned as he saw them. “Hey, we’re all back together again,” he cheered, “Who’d have thought that would happen?”

Phi was able to show Quark the map when Dio unfolded his own copy of it; he must have found it behind the cyan door. “Isn’t it obvious, you idiotic little kid?” he said, scowling. He demonstrated using the map that all three routes led to the same place.

“Lay off, Dio,” Tenmyouji snapped, “It’s your fault for running out of the crew quarters with the map before we could look at it.” Clearly Tenmyouji’s and Dio’s argument had only gotten worse after entering the cyan door. Phi took note of how easily Tenmyouji grouped himself and Quark together as ‘we’; while she already suspected they had some connection this latest bit of evidence made her even more certain.

Eventually Tenmyouji and Dio stopped squabbling and Tenmyouji turned back to the group. “Maybe we should sit down here for a bit and exchange information,” he suggested, “I wouldn’t mind the chance to speak to someone other than Dio.”

“No. There’s plenty of time for that after we check out this elevator,” Phi said. Some instinct told her that they were still on a time limit – that Zero would hardly be inclined to let them catch their breaths before throwing another challenge at them – and that failing to continue at the pace Zero demanded would be fatal.

Following her instruction, as she’d expected, Sigma pressed the button and the doors opened. The nine of them rode the elevator down in nervous silence, awkwardly trying to maintain their personal spaces in the uncomfortably small box. As the doors opened, they spilled out onto the lower floor. They entered into a small room about the same size as the one on the upper floor, with three doors – other than the elevator door – leading in different directions. It was immediately clear that these were Chromatic Doors: they radiated their intense colours – green, blue and red – into the room, and they were accompanied by the same locks as the Chromatic Doors in the warehouse.

Sigma insisted on ramming a door anyway. “Yeah, won’t budge,” he muttered as he rebounded.

Alice was fidgeting with her bracelet. “Looks like my guess was right… the countdown has changed.”

Phi pressed the buttons on the side of her bracelet, confirming Alice’s statement: the display was now counting down from well over two hours.

“Looks like we don’t have a choice, then. We gotta head back,” Tenmyouji said. Phi recalled the supplementary rules they’d found in the infirmary safe. They had said that now all the puzzles were solved all the doors would open for them. She realised that the prominent inclusion of this statement in the rules wasn’t just a hint; they did in fact have to return to the warehouse.

 

They retraced their steps, heading up the elevator and into the lounge; much as Phi would have liked to get a look at the other rooms – the infirmary and the crew quarters – the lounge was clearly the shortest way back to the warehouse and Phi had resolved to return to the AB rooms as quickly as possible. Phi intended to lead the group straight out through the magenta door, but she found Quark and Tenmyouji dawdling by the bar.

“Hey Grandpa, check this out. It’s some of your favourite scotch,” Quark exclaimed, confirming Phi’s insight that they were related.

Tenmyouji chuckled. “Tempting, but I don’t really think now’s the time. Once we get out of here I can drink all the scotch I want. And you can drink all the root beer floats you can stomach.”

Quark jumped gleefully into the air, then started talking animatedly to Tenmyouji. Phi smiled warmly. It was comforting to see the kid being so carefree, but it seemed to be a private moment between the two of them, so Phi left the lounge and headed back towards the warehouse.

She emerged from the magenta door to find Dio already in the warehouse, leaning casually against the furthest AB room.

He nodded at her as she approached. “At least some of us know how to move quickly,” he commented.

Phi grinned at him. “Hey, lay off them. Not everyone can be as dashing as we are.”

 

Before Dio could respond, everyone else arrived through the magenta door. Zero appeared on his projected screen in response to their arrival and beckoned them lazily over.

“Yawn,” he stated mockingly, “You’re finally done? I thought I was gonna be waiting here fooooreveeer for you lot to get back. I thought I was gonna just… wither away from the loneliness. Did you ever think about that, huh? Did you ever think about what it’d be like for me?”

Phi sighed with frustration. “Just get on with it, Zero,” she snapped.

“Now, now, Phido,” Zero scolded, “We all know your bark is worse than your bite.” – Phi thought she would easily ignore all of Zero’s barbs, but for some reason this hurt, a twinging wound in her self-image of competence – “So, you all want to know how you get more BP?”

“We go into the AB rooms, right?” Sigma asked. He gestured to Phi and Luna, and they pulled out the AB cards they’d gotten from the lounge.

“Ding ding ding!” Zero responded, “Sigma has been able to remember something I just told him! Well done!”

“But… who goes into which room?” Luna asked.

“That doesn’t really matter. Anybunny can go into any room. You just have to stay in your pairs… those of you who have pairs. The rest of you are stuck by yourselves. Poor you.”

“But what do we do after we go into the room?” Quark asked.

“You play a game.” As Zero said this, a fanfare played through the speakers and animated fireworks exploded behind the mouse on the screen. “The Ambidex game!”

Tenmyouji looked puzzled. “What’s ‘Ambidex’ supposed to mean anyway?”

K spoke up. “I would guess it’s short for ‘ambidextrous’. Most use the word to refer to the ability to use both of one’s hands equally well, instead of favouring the left or the right, but it can also be taken to mean someone who is duplicitous or two-faced.”

“A game of betrayal…” Sigma murmured.

“Well yes, I guess you could put it that way,” Zero replied, “Now, could I have you all move to the AB rooms please? I’ll give you more specifics once everyone’s inside. I’d just hate to let slip any spoilers before the fun’s started.” Before anyone else could ask any questions, Zero’s projectors switched off, leaving the nine players nothing to do but enter the AB rooms as commanded.

 

Sigma and Phi drifted towards the leftmost AB gate as the group separated. Sigma swiped the card through the reader by the side of the doors, as did five of the others, and there was a roaring hiss as six pairs of doors slid open. Phi stepped forwards to enter, but rammed suddenly into Sigma’s back; he was frozen in shock.

An old woman lay motionless on the floor. Sigma leapt down towards her with a frightened yelp, turning her over and feeling desperately for a pulse. Phi realised with revulsion that there was no chance he’d find one; a gruesome wound in the middle of her chest dashed any slim hopes. As Sigma leaned forward Phi got her first clear view of the woman’s pale and anguished face. There was something about it that was eerily familiar.

 

Phi stumbled backwards… _and suddenly her mind was somewhere else. Confused, she tried to look around, her motions syrupy and slow to respond. She found herself in an unlived-in but well maintained apartment, similar to the ones she kept prepared in the suburbs of Las Vegas as safe houses, though she couldn’t remember using this one. Phi was looking out of the window, but the intense light of the morning sun scattered on the glass and made it almost opaque._

_“Is everything arranged?” a male voice came from behind her. The voice had subtle hints of an eastern European accent; though it sounded just like the attempt of a person to disguise their foreign accent, Phi could tell that it was instead the hints of the eastern European accent that were faked. In her line of work it was always prudent to hide your true identity._

_Phi tried to turn around to look at the speaker but her body failed to respond. The dream, or whatever this vision was, wouldn’t let her get a look at the man. However, despite not remembering these events in the slightest, something in her mind told her exactly who he was._

_“Don’t worry, Mr Balkez,” she said – that was the name he had given her, though she didn’t expect it to be any less fake than the accent – “You’ll have the documents soon. Just make sure you bring the other half of my payment.”_

_As Phi opened door to leave, her vision was washed away by inky darkness. The last thing she heard before it faded away entirely was Mr Balkez saying, “It was a pleasure to work with you.”_

_Suddenly Phi was running for her life through dusky and maze-like Vegas alleyways, carrying an envelope of stolen documents under her arm. She had no idea who she was running from; adrenaline and panic roared through her anyway. The sounds of an organised and relentless pursuit echoed out of the night behind her. Even as Phi raced away from them, her pursuers came closer; though Phi couldn’t see them, they knew exactly where she was! Gasping for breath, she reached the location of the dead drop. She slipped the envelope into a crack in the wall and retrieved a hefty wad of money. A cursory feel of the money indicated that it was approximately the right amount, but Phi knew she didn’t have the time to count it properly. She fled, running towards the nearest large road, hoping to find a crowd to lose herself in._

_Phi staggered exhaustedly towards the end of the alleyway. The roar of traffic and the chatter of people – the sound of safety – beckoned her forward. With a gasp of relief, she darted forward._

_Just before she reached the end of the alleyway, a grenade skidded between her feet, almost tripping her up. Before she could react, the grenade exploded and cloying white smoke erupted around her. Phi, recognising the smoke as Soporil Beta, tried to hold her breath, but weariness and instinct forced her to take a deep, poisonous breath._

_As her mind began to fade, Phi screamed mentally with confusion. She remembered being knocked unconscious by a Soporil Beta grenade, but she didn’t remember it happening there, and she certainly didn’t remember it happening after any sort of frantic chase._

_The last thing Phi saw as she collapsed, silhouetted across the road she had failed to reach, was a man sauntering past carrying the envelope under his arm. Though he walked straight under the streetlights, the shadows conspired to conceal his face; Phi still recognised him: Mr. Balkez. The man tipped his hat ironically to Phi as he walked into the fog._

_Phi tried one last time to move out of the smoke, but before she could_ she snapped back to the present.

 

When Phi recovered everyone was standing around Sigma and the old lady, curiously peering at the morbid display. Phi was alarmed to notice that Quark was among them.

“Quark, don’t look,” she cried out, “Tenmyouji! Get Quark out of here!”

Tenmyouji slowly turned to look at her, a despondent blank expression on his face. It was as though he couldn’t hear her; instead he was transfixed by the body of the old lady. Eventually Phi gave up on Tenmyouji; she picked Quark up herself, angling him over her shoulder and backing away so that he couldn’t see the gruesome scene. From that distance, Phi had difficulty catch up on what she had missed while she had been… dreaming? Hallucinating? Whatever you’d call the vision she’d just woken from. Still, she overruled her curiosity and contented herself with eavesdropping on the discussion taking place inside the AB room.

Sigma was explaining what he’d discovered when he’d inspected the lady’s corpse. “Her body’s already cold, so I’m guessing she was…” Sigma tried to find a properly respectful way to say his conclusion. “I’m guessing she was murdered a while ago.” Sigma gestured vividly, but Phi couldn’t see the particulars past the crowd of people.

Before Phi could hear anything else, Sigma’s explanation was drowned out by Quark talking in her ear. “Hey, Miss Phi, what’s going on?” he asked.

Phi wondered how to respond. Explaining things to children… wasn’t something she was good at. Eventually she settled on evasion. “Don’t worry, Quark. We’ll sort it out. Your Grandpa will sort it out.”

Phi couldn’t see Quark’s expression, but she felt his head droop over his shoulder. “Will he?” he asked, dejectedly, “I don’t think he’s feeling very well. He looks nearly as bad as that time he had the flu.”

Phi patted Quark on the back clumsily. So he’d also noticed Tenmyouji’s sudden bleakness. The Nonary game seemed intent on foiling their attempts to keep the darkest aspects of it away from Quark.

From within the large group of people in the AB room, Clover piped up. “Ooh! There’s a scanning… thingy in the infirmary. Maybe we can do an aut… dead-body-examination using it?”

“Autopsy,” Alice supplied, “And yes, we probably can.”

 

Sigma, K and Dio carried the old lady through the yellow door and on towards the infirmary. Once the corpse had left the warehouse Phi set Quark down and he ran over to Tenmyouji, grasping his hand firmly. Tenmyouji looked down and tussled Quark’s hair gingerly; Phi saw that his movements were still uncoordinated and tentative.

“Hmph. I’ll look after Quark. You run on ahead with the others. You certainly seemed curious enough,” Tenmyouji said to Phi.

Phi obeyed his coded request for privacy and followed the others through to the infirmary. The others had already settled in, and Luna was standing next to a medical device labelled an ‘ADAM’, waving a scanner over the body of the woman.

“Luna claims to have a medical licence,” Dio told her as she entered, “Who knows what other tricks she has up her sleeves?” Dio’s snarky statement concurred with Phi’s impression of Luna. After doing almost nothing the entire time they were in the lounge, she turned out to have exactly the skill-set needed when a dead person turned up? Phi thought it was incredibly suspicious.

Before she could voice her worries to Dio, however, the ADAM responded to Luna’s search with a chirping ping. The screen activated and Luna read the results. The old lady had been killed by a single stab wound delivered by a single-bladed knife, fifteen centimetres long and three centimetres across, that had cleanly pierced her heart.

“Maybe we should find out who did this,” Sigma asked.

Phi thought for a moment, analysing everything that had happened so far. She eventually realised who the prime suspect would have to be.

However, before she could announce her conclusion, Dio beat her to it. “It was you, K, wasn’t it?! You were the one who came out of that AB room!” Dio’s hypothesis matched Phi’s own. Of course, Clover had also come out of that elevator, but she had been unconscious, carried by K.

K pondered the evidence against him and eventually he responded. “I assure you, there was no one else in that room besides Clover when I woke up. There was a hatch on the ceiling, remember. Zero closed it. The real Zero could have ordered the AI to open them just as easily. The person who brought us here is likely the person who murdered that woman.”

Before K could finish his argument Dio interrupted. “I knew it! You’re him, aren’t you? You’re the real Zero!”

K chuckled. “You aren’t making sense. The real Zero could open any of the AB rooms. Let’s suppose I am Zero. Why would I leave the woman in my own AB room, when that would obviously cast suspicion on me?”

Dio spluttered, “Uh… well… because you figured we’d think that! And you would throw us off the trail by doing the exact opposite.”

“That is not a logical argument. Also, consider this: if the murderer isn’t Zero, why would the AI stay silent? He told us his job was to make the game run smoothly. Now the unexpected has happened, and he says nothing. He must know who killed the old woman. The answer is simple. The murderer is Zero… Zero senior, I suppose, to distinguish them from the AI. This murder was not unexpected; it was just as Zero senior planned. This death is only another part of the Nonary game.”

Before K could continue, a recorded announcement sounded. “Ambidex game polling will close in ten minutes.”

“We’d better get back,” Phi said to the others, “Or we’ll lose our opportunity to get more bracelet points.”

 

They went back to the warehouse in hurried silence. Once again they split up to their respective AB rooms. Phi was about to follow Sigma into their AB room when something K had said jumped out at her. The hatch. There wasn’t much time left, but she needed to investigate. She pulled herself up onto the top of the room, and was about to examine the closed hatch when Sigma noticed she hadn’t followed him in.

“Huh, Phi, where… where’d you go?” He backed out of the room until the angle was shallow enough that he could see her. “Wow. You must be really desperate to get high.”

“‘Get high’? That’s the best you can do? I’d have gone with ‘Jump at the first sign of trouble’.”

Sigma chuckled heartily and climbed up beside her. “What’re you up to there anyway? Everybody else has already gone in.”

“There was something I wanted to check out,” she said, “Try opening the hatch.” Now that Sigma was up there as well, there was no reason why she shouldn’t let him do the dirty work.

Sigma strained at the rim of the hatch futilely. “No luck,” he grunted as he gave up. He sat down next to the stubborn hatch with a thoughtful frown on his face. “You’re wondering about whoever killed that old lady, aren’t you?” he asked, continuing, “Does this really help? If Zero Sr. is the killer, then it wouldn’t matter whether we could open the hatch or not.”

Phi shrugged. “I just wanted to be sure. Now let’s go. Algernon’s waiting for us.”

Phi ignored Sigma’s muttered response and dropped down, Sigma following her moments after.

 

Phi and Sigma entered their AB room, the only one left open. Sigma tapped the screen, and the doors closed behind them.

Zero appeared on the elevator panel with his usual aggravating giggle.

“Hee hee hee! You’re finally all in! I thought you’d gotten lost. I mean, this place is a warren, so I can’t blame you… who are we kidding, I do blame you idiots.”

“We’ve got some questions for you, Zero!” Sigma roared at the screen.

Before Sigma could continue, Zero’s mouse avatar winced theatrically. “Will all of you stop bombarding me with questions? The other people in the other rooms are asking me stuff just like you are. Especially B.O.” – Phi couldn’t hear Dio, suggesting that the AB rooms were soundproofed, but she could imagine the indignant fury he would have worked himself into – “B.O. is especially loud. For real, B.O., shut up.

“Now, let me tail you about the AB game. You’re obviously going to have an opponent. You’ll be competing against whoever you went through the chromatic doors with. I want everybunny to focus on the screen at the back of the room. You should see ‘Ally’ and ‘Betray’ on it. All you have to do is pick one of those easy hoptions. Your BP will go up or down depending on what you and your hopponent do.”

Zero explained the consequences of each option. Phi recognised the situation immediately. This was a Prisoner’s Dilemma. Most people responded to the dilemma by trying to find ways to commit themselves to choosing ‘Ally’. Unfortunately, she and Sigma were not playing against ‘most people’. They were playing against Luna. And Phi had no idea what Luna would do.

“I think that about does it for the basic rules. Weeell, actually there’s a little bit more, but it’ll just have to wait. It’s almost time!” Zero concluded.

“Wait!” Sigma called after him as Zero’s avatar started to fade.

“No. I won’t wait and I can’t wait. Didn’t you hear me? It is time.”

To emphasise Zero’s statement, another announcement played. “One minute remains until Ambidex Game polling closes.”

Before Sigma or Phi could react, the mouse on the screen had vanished.

 

One minute remained to vote. One minute remained to explain to Sigma – naïve, doddering old Sigma – which choice they had to make.

“We don’t have time to talk about this. Choose ‘Betray’.”

Sigma gasped with shock. “What?! You’re kidding! Betray Luna?!”

“Ugh. Did you see how she was acting in the lounge?” Sigma tilted his head uncomprehendingly. “We don’t know want she wants, or why she wants it, or even if she wants anything at all. We can’t trust her to vote ally.”

Sigma tried to argue back. “How she was acting? She was perfectly kind and helpful.”

Phi ignored his protest. “If we ‘Ally’ and she ‘Betrays’, we’re screwed. That’s a loss of two points. If our BP goes down to one, it’s over. Press the damn button.”

Sigma stared at her stubbornly. “You’re hiding something,” he stated angrily, “You’ve been suspicious from the get-go. How’d you know my name? What happened to you when we found that old lady’s body?” – Phi only realised then what her hallucination must have looked like from the outside – “You didn’t even blink, like you knew she would be here. Why are you going crazy about Luna who has done, note this, absolutely nothing but help out?! And now you’re saying you know what happens when our BP drops. I don’t want to believe it, but did you… are you…?”

Before Sigma could finish his accusation the announcer spoke again. “Ten seconds remain until Ambidex Game polling closes.”

Phi wouldn’t get the chance to defend herself. There was only one thing she could say. Only one way to justify what she was about to do.

“When your BP reaches zero…” – it was obvious to her, if not to Sigma – “you die.”

As Sigma reeled, she leapt for the console.

 

In the split second that she flew through the air, she rationalised her decision. Could Sigma not see how untrustworthy Luna was? Even if he wasn’t familiar with the Prisoner’s dilemma, surely he realised that ‘Betray’ was the most logical option?

Then, with an instantaneous stab of guilt, the train of Phi’s thoughts ground to a halt. Perhaps Sigma was right. When she had jumped out of the elevator, she had promised to herself not to miss this chance to change herself for the better. And here she was, forcing her decisions on others, thinking the worst of everyone she met, squandering the opportunity with every single action. As she fell forward her broach swung away from her skin as if scorning her.

She wasn’t committed yet. Only a slight movement of her finger would change her vote. She had only a moment to choose.

 

**Choice:**  
**A) Ally  
** **B) Betray**

* * *

_This_ _fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Since we've reached another Ambidex Game, here's another opportunity to vote for which route we should take. Leave a comment if you have a preference._


	20. Date Night

Phi fell forward, her finger stretched towards the console. In the last second of the countdown, her finger stabbed down… and pressed ‘Betray’. Yes. She was certain it was the sensible choice. Luna was certainly going to betray. She’d made the choice that would keep them alive, the choice that Sigma didn’t have the guts to make. She exhaled, all the tension in her body releasing itself, as she collapsed in front of the screen.

“Round one of the Ambidex Game has been completed,” said the announcement voice, “Results will be displayed in the warehouse.”

Phi clumsily hauled herself up from where she had sprawled next to the console. She turned around to see Sigma staring at her with disgust.

“Not cool, Phi. Very not cool,” he said.

“You’ll thank me…”

“Leave it,” Sigma interrupted. He turned away from her and left through the opening doors of the AB room.

Phi trudged after him into the warehouse. She saw everyone rushing towards the projected screen, desperate to find out the results. She and Sigma were hardly the only pair who had argued in their AB room: Clover practically fled from K as they left their room, and Quark was almost in tears.

“Wasssuuuuup! Phido! We’re about to announce the results!” Zero shouted to her.

Phi stumbled towards the screen to join the others. When Sigma realised Luna would have also voted ‘Betray’, he would come round.

With a fanfare, Zero began. “Ambidex Gaaame! Round One!” Giving a mocking bow, his avatar vanished from the screen to be replaced by an orderly table of results:

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

K                                     3                           Betray                      +3                           6  
Clover                             3                                                           +3                           6

Alice                                3                            Ally                         -2                           1

 

Dio                                 3                           Betray                       +3                            6  
Quark                             3                                                            +3                           6

Tenmyouji                      3                             Ally                         -2                            1

 

Sigma                             3                           Betray                        +3                           6  
Phi                                  3                                                            +3                           6

Luna                               3                             Ally                          -2                           1

 

There was an uproar as everyone comprehended the results. Three people were now hovering precariously on one bracelet point, a complete sweep of successful betrayals. Alice beckoned Clover sternly through the cyan door. Clover followed promptly but dispiritedly, leaving K behind; though K’s armour masked his facial expressions, Phi could tell from his stiff motions that K was deeply troubled by what he had just done.

Phi could also overhear Tenmyouji as he protested to Dio and Quark. “Quark… What happened?” Tenmyouji asked, his dull eyes gazing at Quark sadly.

Quark, tears running down his cheeks, spluttered desperately. “No, no, I…it wasn’t me! Dio did it! He tricked me.”

Dio scoffed. “You serious? The kid’s full of shit.” As Quark gasped with surprise Dio continued. “I didn’t do squat. Quark was the one who decided how we’d vote. He said you’d be a sucker for whatever he told you.”

Phi listened curiously to Dio’s attempts to evade the blame. Sure, his stratagem wasn’t particularly effective; it was obvious to everyone that he was lying, and that Tenmyouji would believe Quark over anyone else, not least Dio. But Phi could empathise with Dio’s goal. After all, Phi had made a similar choice, to ensure she would escape as quickly as possible, and she would also have to convince Luna of Phi’s own good intentions soon enough.

“You’re lying! You’re a lying jerk!” Quark shouted, “Grandpa! You believe me, right?!”

Dio frowned. “Don’t let this brat fool you, old man,” he said, “All this is just part of his plan.”

Quark erupted with anguished rage. “You bastard! I’m not gonna let you get away with this!”

However, before Quark could get any further, Tenmyouji placed his hands firmly on Quark’s shoulders and drew him into a calming embrace. “Don’t lose your temper, Quark. How long have I known you? I could be deaf and blind and still know you’re not lying to me.”

Dio put on a passionate performance, even as it became clear that it wouldn’t be enough. “Hah! You… You’re just as gullible as he said you would be.”

Before Phi could contemplate Dio any further, her own trial began. Luna was holding onto Sigma plaintively, a dismayed expression across her usually calm face.

“Sigma… why did you and Phi do that?” she asked him with a trembling voice, “We could all have voted ‘Ally’ three times, and we could all escape together. But now we… why?”

Sigma glanced at Phi accusingly. “I would have,” he said, “but Phi here pressed the button first.”

In contrast to Dio’s disastrous attempt, Phi figured that honesty was the best start to bringing people round to her side. “Yeah, that’s right,” she said, talking over Luna’s gasp, “I had no way to know you wouldn’t betray. You’d have done the same thing if you’d thought about it. Now that we know what’s going on, we can work out a way to get everyone out without any more surprises.” There. By saying that she was sticking to her principles. She did still intend to get everyone out of there. Really. That was the truth. Really.

 

It was then that Alice and Clover returned, Clover meekly trailing behind her friend.

“The past is past,” Alice was saying, “There’s no point in me complaining about it. I just have to get those points back in the next AB Game.” Alice turned to the screen, where Zero’s rodent-like avatar was waiting for them smugly, and checked her bracelet. “Zero, our bracelets say the next round starts in an hour. How do we get through the next set of doors downstairs?”

Zero giggled. “Maybe you don’t get through those doors. Maybe you have to stay up here, forever, with meeeeee! Won’t that be fun?”

Alice answered confidently, “You called this ‘Round One’. Where there’s a round one, there’s a round two.”

K interjected, “Besides, didn’t you say the goal of the AB Game was to get nine BP? That’s impossible without a second round.”

Zero pouted, his elaborate hat drooping to one side. “You lot are no fun. Yes, there’s a second round. There!” Suddenly Zero perked up. “Yes, you get to vote again, loads more juicy betrayals! Just as soon as you get the AB gates open again.

Clover made a quizzical little squeak. “But… they’re already open!”

Zero mimed slamming his head into his hand. “Whoopsie! Lemme just clooooose them!” On Zero’s cue six pairs of doors whirred closed.

Once all the doors were fully closed an announcement played through the speakers. “Round two of the Ambidex Game will be the Moon round. Moon keys will be required to open the gates.”

“So those Sun keys you have are just compleeeeetely useless now,” Zero concluded, “Weeeell, I guess you could throw them at each other, or use them to pick your teeth, but other than that they’re useless.”

“So, how many times do we play the AB Game?” Dio asked.

Zero shrugged. “Dunno? As many times as you need to? I plan on keeping this party going until somebunny opens the Number Nine door. It could be next round! Or you could get stuck below 9 BP, where everybunny just keeps going back and forth, back and forth, winning and losing points… After all, if no one has nine BP the door can’t open… Round three, Round four, Round five… Round 100, Round 2000… you might even go all the way to Round 17,179,869,183: things get really weird if I get that high. I really, really hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Sigma, a curious look on his face, asked Zero a question. “There’s rules about who can go through the Chromatic doors, right? Like, you have to have three people exactly. Are there similar rules for the Number Nine door?”

“Nope! There aren’t any rules about how many people can go through that door. It could be one person, or two people, or even all nine of you.” Zero frowned. “Just one thing, though, Siggy… All that stuff about how you have to have three people to go through the secondary Chromatic doors. Maybe it’s not… 100% true. You just need to have the correct three bracelets. As long as the scanners see the right combination of bracelets… the people don’t matter.”

“So you’re saying these things can come off?” Sigma said.

“Tell me how I take it off!” Quark shouted, pulling at his wrist.

“Well, there’s two ways,” Zero explained, “First is to escape through the Number Nine door. Soon as you do, you’re free to go, none of my business, no more turbocuarine hanging over you. Second… well the second’s far more enjoyable.”

“What’s the second way, Zero?!” Dio yelled, “Tell us already!”

Zero chuckled deeply. “Oh, B.O. I think you already know. Do you really want to get rid of that bracelet? It’s easy. Nothing to it.

“You die.

“Now if we’re lucky, we might see a few of them come off during the next round!” Zero giggled at his thinly veiled threat. “If I had to guess, it’s gonna be Tenmyoldy or Alas or Moony…” – Zero grinned maniacally at Tenmyouji, Alice, and Luna, the three people who had been betrayed in the first round – “or even all of them.”

Zero then explained what Phi had already guessed. Anyone whose BP dropped to Zero would be punished just as harshly as if they’d broken the rules. She could see Sigma looking at her strangely, as if he still wondered how she had known.

Alice scolded Zero passionately. “What the hell! This is important stuff! Why didn’t you tell us earlier? You were supposed to tell us the rules, not hide them! Is there anything else you’ve conveniently left out?! It’s not fair to make us play the game without explaining all the rules!”

Zero smirked. “I think it’s fair. It’s not like anyone else knew… right Phido?”

So Zero had been eavesdropping on their conversation in the AB room. Phi conjectured that Zero had noticed Sigma’s fear of her and intended to drive a wedge between the other players. Everyone turned to stare at her. Sigma had already – back in the AB room – made the leap of assumption from Phi knowing that to Phi being Zero senior; there was no way she could let Zero insinuate it to everyone else.

“Yeah… no-one knew…” she stuttered.

She trailed off uncomfortably. It seemed that no-one had noticed Zero’s implication; no-one, that is, but Sigma, who glared at her furiously. If Sigma had been suspicious earlier, now his fears must have seemed to him to be all but confirmed. If he told anyone else… Phi had to find some way to ensure he didn’t.

 

“The next set of Chromatic Doors you’ll be going through are downstairs,” Zero continued to explain, “You already saw them, right? There should have been three: red, blue and green. That means to get through, you’ll need bracelets in cyan, magenta and yellow. But wait! You already have those bracelets!”

Phi looked down at her wrist automatically. Her bracelet had been updated with her new score – ‘6’ – and as Zero had implied the colour of the text had changed: it was now yellow.

Sigma muttered, “Hmm, mine changed from red to cyan.” That was a surprise. Though it was probably for the best, given what had transpired in the AB room and after, she and Sigma were no longer partners. Phi’s bracelet still said she was a pair, so she wondered who her partner was.

It was Dio. That was… intriguing.

“Well, you’re much better than the dead weight I had following me around last time.” Dio smiled at her. “You’ll do much better helping me solve those damn puzzles.”

She chuckled amiably at him. “Who says it won’t be you, helping me?” she said, jokingly.

Dio chuckled with her. “Yeah, that’s the sort of partner I was looking for! I think we’ll get along great.”

Phi figured he was right. She and Dio seemed to be thinking along the same wavelength. Sure, Dio had been far less talented at manipulation than she had, but that only meant they had different skills. They’d make a very good team.

Phi and Dio quickly agreed to co-operate to check out everyone else’s bracelets:

Sigma’s new partner was Alice; they were the cyan pair.  
Tenmyouji and Quark were the magenta pair.  
Luna was the yellow solo.  
K was the magenta solo.  
Finally, Clover was the cyan solo.

“When did they change?” Quark asked Zero.

“Back when the AB gates closed. As soon as the gates close, your colours get all shuffled up automatically. The pair and solo assignments hop around too,” Zero explained, jumping around the screen to illustrate his statement.

“Now, with all that explained… I must bid you adieu. Sadly…” – Zero’s lip trembled – “we may never meet again. There’s not really anything for me to facilitate anymore. I’ll never see you guys…again!”

There was awkward silence.

Suddenly Zero burst out laughing. “Did you really think I was gonna cry! I hate you losers. Anyway gooood luck. I may be gone, but I’m always watching. Have a nice tragedy!” With that, the mouse disappeared from the screen, never to be seen again.

Good riddance.

 

Quark was the first to speak. “So… what happens now? We’ve still got a while till the Chromatic Doors open.” In fact, they had three quarters of an hour.

Alice took charge. “We should go and see if we can find any other exits,” she commanded, “Maybe there’s a vent or a disposal chute or something. I for one wouldn’t mind examining the other rooms.”

“Let’s split up,” Phi suggested. She estimated how much time they wold need to get down to the Chromatic Doors. “Let’s meet in front of the Chromatic Doors five minutes before they open.”

The group split up. Phi was about to follow them when Sigma grabbed her arm forcefully; they were the only two left in the warehouse.

“We need to talk,” he said. He composed himself. “Lemme be straight with you: your shit is crazy. Hella crazy. I mean… you ‘just know’ stuff you shouldn’t, like my name. You hide what you know from everyone else. You forced your decision on me in the AB room and betrayed Luna. Something is really wrong with you.” Phi began to protest, but Sigma cut her off with a gesture. “More and more I’m starting to think you’ve been lying to me, about who you are, why you’re here.

“I don’t know if you have anything to do with the Nonary Game, and I couldn’t prove it if you were. But I can’t trust you. Just… leave me alone!”

Phi swivelled around and ran towards the yellow door with a sinking feeling in her stomach. It was completely clear that Sigma did not want her to stay any longer, and she was all too happy to oblige.

 

When Phi arrived in the infirmary, K had transferred the old lady’s body from the ADAM to one of the convalescent beds lining the closest wall of the room; he was now erecting a white plastic screen around the bed to provide some privacy. As he finished, Phi approached him.

“Hey, K, you were in here before, right? Is there anything else I can help you look at.”

K turned to greet her. “Hello Phi,” he said, “We searched this room quite thoroughly before, but I would be grateful for your help in searching again. It is possible that your fresh perspective will find something that we missed.”

Phi walked around the screen into the centre of the room. As she did so, she saw Quark sitting on one of the other beds. He was messing about with one of the packets on the side of his helmet, a frustrated frown on his face.

“Hello, Miss Phi!” he called out as her saw her.

“Hey Quark,” Phi replied, “Are you doing okay?”

“Sure!” Quark said, “It’s just that I can’t find any of the stuff I left in my hat.” Quark showed her both sides; they were indeed empty. “I didn’t get a chance to check it until now, and everything’s gone.”

“They took almost everything I had, too,” Phi said. She knelt down beside Quark, carefully tapping the wall with her fingertips to search for hollow sections behind it. “Are you sure you’re okay, though?” Phi asked as she searched, “I mean, after…” Phi glanced past K at where the old lady’s corpse was.

“I’m not a kid anymore!” exclaimed the kid, “I can deal with it. I’m not gonna cry!”

“I concur,” K commented, “Quark has been admirably composed since we arrived.”

“Hmm…” Phi was rather worried by Quark’s reaction. Sure, it was better not to let negative emotions get in the way of what you were doing, but there was no way it was healthy for a child Quark’s age to be trying that; bottling up his feelings like that would just lead to Quark becoming emotionally repressed... well, exactly like Phi was. Phi wasn’t sure she wanted that for Quark.

“Quark, it’s okay to be sad and cry when stuff this bad happens. It means you’re still sane,” she explained.

Quark looked at her, still trying to keep a steady expression. “Grandpa says that too,” he said, a shallow smile gradually forming.

“What exactly is your relationship to Tenmyouji?” K asked, “I was aware that you called him ‘Grandpa’, but you appeared to be less amiable towards him when we first met than you do now.”

Quark laughed. “He’s only my adopted grandpa, but he raised me like a parent. I think he’s better than any mom could possibly be.

“Grandpa’s job is… he’s like an archy… someone who digs up old stuff.”

“Archaeologist,” Phi supplied, “Does he have a whip?”

“No!” Quark answered angrily, “Why would you think he’d use a whip? Of course he doesn’t!”

Phi was dumbfounded. How could Quark not have heard of Indiana Jones? Sure, the series had taken a downturn with film number four, and _Indiana Jones and the Collection of Every Historical Artefact he Hasn’t Found Yet_ was basically unwatchable, but he had to have still heard of it.

Before she could explain herself, however, Quark continued talking with an earnest expression. “Grandpa said we should pretend not to know each other, in case somebody would use it against us. I don’t think I could do that for long, though.”

 “When did he say that?” K asked. “You were in separate AB rooms, and I was under the impression that Alice escaped first. I do not think you would be inclined to discuss such a thing in front of Dio.”

“I… I don’t know,” Quark answered, flustered.

“Don’t worry, Quark,” Phi said, to Quark’s apparent relief, “Let’s carry on looking. Quark, can you look under stuff to see if there’s anything us adults missed?”

 

They searched in relative silence, Phi and Quark only talking to show things to K, each of which he dismissed as something he had seen during the puzzle. They were only interrupted by the arrival of Sigma. A cold silence passed between him and Phi; Sigma had no intention of forgiving her for what happened in the AB room. Never the less, Sigma didn’t mention his suspicions to K or Quark, allowing an uneasy peace.

“How’s it going? You guys find anything?” Sigma said.

The three of them showed Sigma what they had found and K explained how it all was used in the puzzle.

“Well, Alice, Clover and I did go over this room quite thoroughly. I doubt you’ll find any hidden hallways here,” K concluded, “I only came back here because I was concerned about the lady you found. Who would do such a horrible thing?”

Phi recalled Dio’s theory from the last time they had been in the infirmary. It made a lot of sense, and she was inclined to agree with it. However, if she voiced her agreement here, it would only prod Sigma into telling the others what had happened in the AB room; Phi stayed quiet instead.

Sigma looked around the privacy screen that K had erected, careful not to move it. He spoke thoughtfully, “We were so busy earlier that I never got to ask, but do any of you know who she is?”

No-one did. K’s gauntleted hand scratched his chin in contemplation.

“Well I suppose I might have known her before I lost my memories, but there’s no way to know now, is there?”

“You’d better be telling the truth about this amnesia stuff,” Sigma said.

“Are you suspicious of me too, Sigma?” K raised his hands passively.

“Suspicious? Have you looked in a mirror lately? You might as well have ‘suspicious’ tattooed across your forehead.” Sigma said.

Phi had to agree with him. “If someone ran into you on the street at night, they’d probably pass out from fright.”

“Or maybe even during the day,” Quark completed Phi’s joke.

“I’m so sorry. I apologise for my frightening appearance,” K said, “I’m not sure why, but to me none of this feels particularly strange. The mask and the suit, I mean. In a way it almost feels natural. I don’t feel as if I was forced into it.”

“This might be a pretty obvious question, but is there any way for you to take it off?” Quark asked.

K shook his head sadly. “No. I’ve tried several times, to no avail. I honestly don’t even know where to start. Ah, but there is something I’d like to ask of you. There are parts of the suit I can’t see. Could you have a look, and tell me if perhaps there is a switch or something similar?”

K removed his cape and turned his back to the other three. The thing K wanted them to find was immediately apparent. Just above the neck of the suit was a finely machined socket; currently the mechanism was pointed towards the top of his head but to one side was a label saying ‘OPEN’. It was clearly the lock to K’s suit. Phi attempted to manipulate the lock and rotate it open, but it was too flat and smooth for her fingers to grasp. It seemed to require a special key to use it.

As they described the lock and their failure to open it to K, he perked up, though he still moved slowly to avoid hitting the people behind him. “I see. That’s excellent news,” K said, “We just need to find whatever it is that goes in there, then. I feel somewhat relieved. I was beginning to fear I might have to spend the rest of my life like this.”

“Wait. A minute ago you said it felt natural,” Quark asked.

K looked down at the kid, trying to explain exactly what he meant. “That does not mean I want to stay in it forever. Imagine having glasses, for instance. Wearing them doesn’t feel strange, but you’d hardly want to wear them all the time, forever, would you? That’s what wearing this suit is like.”

The conversation died down, as did the now merely perfunctory search. K looked around the room, his motions sluggish and disinterested. “There doesn’t appear to be anything else to find in this room,” he stated, “Do you think we should move to the next room?”

Sigma stretched his arms out. “I think I’ll be moving along too. I still want to check out the crew quarters.”

“An excellent idea,” K replied, “I will accompany you.”

 

Once Sigma and K had left, Phi decided to go and find Dio so that they could discuss their strategy as partners before the next round. Leaving Quark behind in the infirmary, and having vaguely remembered Dio heading through the magenta door, she raced towards the lounge.

She burst into the lounge to find Alice and Dio in a heated argument. They stopped at Phi’s boisterous approach.

“Hey partner,” Dio said in greeting, “You went through here, didn’t you. Sigma was here earlier, but I’d bet you’d be able to see more than that senile old fool.” Dio’s subtle flattery helped Phi feel a tiny bit better about her row with Sigma. It wasn’t her fault that Sigma was too foolish to realise she wasn’t Zero Sr.

“Actually, before you look around, you should have a look at this.” Alice held her hand out to Phi, showing her that Dio and Alice had been fighting over what looked like a newspaper article. Phi read it curiously.

‘Radical-6 Infection Spreads, Cure Continues to Elude Authorities.

‘The Radical-6 virus continues to spread across the globe like wildfire.

‘The WHO has confirmed that the death toll is estimated to have passed 100,000 victims.

‘Immediate quarantine of any infected patients is strongly advised.’

“What do you make of that?” Alice asked, once Phi had lifted her gaze from the excerpt, “Dio seems to think we should believe this piece of rubbish.”

Dio laughed. “You must have looked at yourself in the mirror too many times, let your vanity rot your brains.” He spread his arms out expansively. “There’s a great and terrible virus ravishing the world outside and all you’re too self-centred to believe it.”

“He’s got a point,” Phi said, inviting a victorious grin from Dio, “We have no idea what’s happened outside since we were knocked out. Anyway…” – Phi, appreciating Dio’s gratitude, scraped for something else to say – “Zero would hardly have placed it in here if it wasn’t relevant.”

Alice frowned. “Well, if you two are going to be like that, I’ll just have to show someone else instead!”

Alice stormed out. Phi and Dio shared a hearty laugh.

“So, now that we’re alone, we should plan what we’re going to do next round. Who should we go through the doors with?” Dio asked.

“Well, the three solos are Clover, K and Luna,” Phi stated.

“A choice between the psycho, the _supposedly_ amnesiac brute, and Luna. You wanna guess what I think the right choice is, Phi?” Dio said sarcastically. “Besides, Luna’s cute.”

“Cute, eh?!” Phi grinned.

“Well, you know…” Dio blushed slightly, highlighting his perfectly straight peroxide-blonde hair. “She’s cute, but really dumb.” Dio waved his hands nervously. “You’re smart as well as cute.”

Was Dio… flirting… with her? Well, he was interesting enough, and he seemed to be smart enough for her. Besides, if Dio did have a crush on her, she may be able to use him. Once she and Dio had settled on a strategy to ensure their solo was Luna, she decided to flirt back.

“Okay, Dio,” she said teasingly, “Tell me a bit more about yourself. Where did you live? What exactly do you do for a living? I bet a guy with your style has a few stories to tell.”

“Now, now, Phi!” Dio wagged his finger in Phi’s face and smiled knowingly. “You know questions like that are impolite… especially among people in our line of work.”

“Huh! What do you mean, ‘people in our line of work’?”

Dio didn’t answer; he just smirked tauntingly. Before Phi could ask again, Quark rushed in.

“Miss Phi, Mister Dio!” he shouted frantically, “You’ve gotta hurry! Check your bracelets!”

Phi did so. There were only five minutes remaining before the Chromatic Doors opened.

“Quark’s right. Let’s go,” she said.

 

The nine of them reunited at the elevator and rode it down to the atrium of the Chromatic Doors. As the elevator doors let them out and they spread out into the room, the three Chromatic Doors slid open invitingly.

“Chromatic Doors have opened. Five minutes remain until Chromatic Doors close.”

Phi immediately took charge. She had been mulling over the new set of colours in her head and, once again, had calculated the only three possible options:

Option A:  
Phi and Dio went with K through the Red door.  
Sigma and Alice went with Luna through the Green door.  
Quark and Tenmyouji went with Clover through the Blue door. 

Option B:  
Phi and Dio went with Clover through the Green door.  
Sigma and Alice went with K through the Blue door.  
Quark and Tenmyouji went with Luna through the Red door. 

Option C:  
Phi and Dio went with Luna through the Blue door.  
Sigma and Alice went with Clover through the Red door.  
Tenmyouji and Quark went with K through the Green door.

Phi and Dio had more or less agreed to pursue option C. Working intuitively together as a perfect team, they started to manipulate the group.

“I’d like Luna to come with us,” Dio started. After everyone’s perception of his previous AB vote, he’d have to play up his role as the blatantly selfish one, and he did so with thinly disguised gusto.

Phi’s job was to act as though she would restrain Dio. “What?! Need someone gullible for the next round?” By emphasising her own guilt over betraying Luna previously, Phi would reassure Luna enough to join them, while accentuating Dio’s penchant for betrayal would scare away K and Clover.

“Hey! Shut up! Aren’t you supposed to be my partner?”

Phi could barely keep herself from giggling at Dio’s over-acted distress, his arms flailing wildly as he reacted to Phi’s ‘betrayal’, but apart from Sigma, who appeared to see right through her, everyone fell into line. Alice and Clover also demanded option C, and K trudged with resignation over to where Tenmyouji and Quark were standing. The final step was to align Luna with the plan.

“Anyway, Phi and I won’t be choosing ‘Betray’ this time. Your BP’s one right now. If you chose ‘Ally’ and we chose ‘Betray’…” Dio trailed off.

“I’d die.” Luna finished his sentence for him.

“I didn’t want to say it straight out, but… yeah,” Dio said, “We’re not gonna go that far just to get out of here. Right, Phi?”

Phi agreed whole-heartedly, but the roles they were playing required her to pretend to be doubtful of Dio. “Yeah…” she muttered.

There was a tense pause, but then Luna spoke. “Then I’m going to take a chance on you,” she said.

Only Sigma seemed unconvinced. “Luna, are you sure about this?” he asked tentatively.

However, before he could unravel Phi and Dio’s plans, an announcement cut the discussion short. “Ten seconds remain until Chromatic Doors close.”

“Option C it is,” Phi stated. There was no time for anyone to object.

 

Mission accomplished.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._


	21. Deal with the Dio

Luna followed Phi and Dio timidly through the blue door. Phi and Dio had arranged their preferred choice of door and solo player so quickly that they had to wait for the doors to close. During that time Luna gazed pensively out through the doorway, almost as if she’d regretted coming with them, but it was too late. The Chromatic Doors closed.

When the three of them were confirmed by the scanners and released into the next corridor, Luna walked quickly away, creating some distance between her and Phi and Dio, who strolled together casually.

“So. Dio,” Phi started, “What the hell did you mean earlier by ‘our line of work’…”

Dio laughed over her. “Now, now Phi!” He pointed forwards, following the path Luna had taken down the corridor. “We have company.” Dio was right. They could hardly discuss it openly here. They’d have to seek a way out of Luna’s range of hearing first. “Besides,” – Dio smirked – “I’d hoped you’d be at least smart enough to remember what your own line of work was.”

Even if Phi had considered asking Dio further questions, they soon caught up with Luna at the end of the corridor: a round hub with three locked doors, all bearing a lock box similar to those of the Chromatic Doors. The only other item in the room was a lever reminiscent of the one used to open the Number Nine Door. It was clear Dio had made the same connection. He eyed up the lever ambitiously, hungrily – almost reverentially.

“Do you think we should pull the lever?” Luna asked.

Phi knelt down beside the contraption. “I’d like to check there’s no booby traps first. It’d be just like Zero to let us this far and then embarrass us.”

“Ha! Are you scared, Phi?” Dio strolled up and, with a flourish, pulled the lever down confidently. Phi could hardly allow Dio to show her up like that in future. She’d have to be bolder.

As the lever returned to its original position, the door opposite unlocked and opened invitingly. The other two doors didn’t respond.

“I wonder why the other doors didn’t open.” Luna queried.

Phi considered the possibilities. “They’ll probably come into play later,” she guessed.

Dio chuckled. “Ha! Later…”

The three of them passed through the open door. After a sharp right turn they found a secondary door; it projected a holographic plaque that mysteriously displayed only the letters ‘PEC’. Dio approached the door confidently and it rose up to allow him through, the plaque disappearing into the ceiling.

 

Phi, Luna trailing timidly behind her, followed Dio into a dimly lit room full of large gurgling pipes. There were three rows of grimy, overused lockers standing next to three of the walls, and an alcove containing a stool and an unusually shaped device surrounding the space in which a person would sit on the stool.

“Okay, everyone, let’s get searching,” Phi commanded, trying to project a level of confident authority.

The three of them opened up a row of lockers each. It turned out that every single locker contained the exact same thing: a folded up fluorescent orange protective suit with an ugly sealed helmet attached to the top. Phi carried one such suit into the centre of the room and laid it on a tattered bench so that the three of them could examine it together. Turning the suit over, Phi found that the back could be opened, presumably to allow the suit to be put on.

“Where the hell are we supposed to use this?” Dio asked exasperatedly.

Phi laughed cheekily. “So impatient. We haven’t even searched everywhere yet.”

“Heh. You win this one, Phi.” Dio tipped his top hat towards Phi. “But don’t expect to stuff me in one of those until you at least have a good reason. I’m too much of a gentleman to be seen in public wearing such a thing.” Saying that, Dio billowed out his longcoat proudly.

Phi decided to fold the suit back up so that it wouldn’t get in the way. As she did so, she noticed two things. The first was a crisp, official-looking binder. Phi flipped it open and examined the document inside. The title read ‘Pressure Exchange Chamber: Outside’ and below it there was a diagram where three pairs of coloured circles were joined together: pink to orange, yellow to green, white to black.

“‘Pressure Exchange Chamber’, huh?” Phi said, “Well, at least we know what ‘PEC’ means.”

Dio looked over her shoulder curiously. “Wait, a Pressure Exchange Chamber? But…” Dio broke off thoughtfully.

The second thing that Phi noticed was that the bench had a grid of symbols etched into it. Phi traced each symbol, trying to remember them, but there were enough of them that Phi wasn’t confident of remembering both all the shapes and their positions.

Luna noticed Phi’s frustration. “I can remember them for you, if you’d like.”

“Thanks.” Wait a moment. How could Luna remember them if Phi couldn’t? “Are you saying you have an eidetic memory too?” Phi asked.

“I… Yes, I suppose so,” Luna replied cautiously, “J-Just like Sigma.”

What were the chances that two of the nine people playing the Nonary game would have that incredibly rare ability? Once again, there was something suspicious about Luna, something Phi couldn’t quite put her finger on.

Finally, the three of them turned to the alcove and the strange machine it contained. Despite the fact that was clearly important there seemed to be no way to operate it; there were markings on the machine, but they were just a collection of coloured squares, nothing like instructions.

“How the hell are we supposed to turn this thing on?!” Dio shouted angrily, “This puzzle is just stupid. Don’t you agree, Phi?”

“Yeah. There’s basically nothing here.” Compared to the lounge – even to the first puzzle in the elevator – this room was positively sparse.

As Phi and Dio grumbled, Luna spoke up. “I think that’s an elevator,” she said, pointing at one corner of the room.

Phi looked over. At first glance, the space in the corner looked nothing like an elevator: there was nothing more than a waist high metallic wall surrounding an area just large enough for the three of them to fit. But as Phi approached she noticed that there was a console inside the wall, that part of the wall could be swung open like a door, and – most importantly – that the floor inside was not connected to the rest of the floor so that it could lower.

It was, as Luna had said, an elevator. But how had she noticed that from such a distance, just from looking at the outside of it?

“Okay, let’s use it,” Phi said.

Phi had just opened the door of the elevator when Luna interrupted her. “Um… Maybe we should take down some of the protective suits with us? Just in case they’re useful down there?”

 

Phi couldn’t argue against that, so the three of them piled onto the elevator, laden down with three of the bulky suits. Phi could barely see the elevator control panel over the helmet she was holding, but she was able to reach her arm out and feel her way to the button. The elevator descended.

When the elevator reached the bottom, her arms aching from holding the awkwardly shaped suit, Phi dumped it over the side of the elevator. As she did so she was finally able to see the bottom of the elevator control console. Some sort of combination lock protected a compartment on which the numbers ‘25113’ were written; Phi knelt down to inspect it and found that the symbols on the five rotors of the lock were similar to those on the bench in the room above. So this was where those symbols would be used. Phi remembered the numbers; there would probably be a way to convert those numbers into symbols somewhere in this room.

Phi stood up and surveyed the downstairs room. The left side of the room contained another row of lockers, but Phi ignored them in favour of the right hand side, which was far more interesting. The right hand wall was made up of translucent panels, through which could be seen a new chamber containing several metres worth of bright white and red pipes, a giant model of Zero Jr. – Phi wondered how it was possible to program an AI to be so egotistical – as well as another door on the far wall. As Phi cast her gaze along the windows, she found Dio standing in front of a door into that chamber, examining a computer screen above the handwheel that would open the door. Phi peered over his shoulder at the screen.

‘Please put on your viral protection suit. Failure to do so will prevent you from entering the decompression chamber.’

“So that’s what the suits are for,” Phi said.

Phi and Dio helped each other into the orange protective suits – Dio insisted on wearing his over his hat, but the helmet seemed to have enough room to accommodate this – while Luna was able to get hers on by herself, only needing Phi’s help to make sure that the seals on the back were correctly closed, which they were.

Once they were all safely inside the protective suits, the warning message on the computer screen disappeared, replaced by a circular diagram containing eight small coloured dots. Recalling the binder from earlier, Phi traced her finger over the diagram, connecting the pink dot to the orange one, then yellow to green, and finally white to black. As the final connection was acknowledged, the screen flashed green – displaying the word ‘Completed’ – and the handwheel hissed as it was unlocked. Dio turned the wheel and the door swung back gradually, allowing them into the room beyond.

 

The other side of the door was similar to the system they had just unlocked, with a computer screen above a well-maintained handwheel, but now Phi could see all the panels that moved into place when the door was locked, completely sealing any gap between the door and its frame. However, when the doors swung shut behind them, the panels did not move and the door did not lock. Phi examined the screen, which unhelpfully said, ‘Door will lock and chamber will activate when the conditions are met.’

There were two things in the room that Phi hadn’t been able to see through the windows. The first was a bench with a computer tablet lying on it. Phi picked up the tablet and examined it – finding it to be unbroken and with a full battery, but with no switch or button or other way to turn it on – and then, as she tucked the tablet under her arm, noticed that the bench was engraved with numbers, just as the bench on the upper floor had been engraved with symbols. So this was the key to converting the numbers she had found – ‘25113’ – into symbols for the combination lock.

“Hey, Luna!” Phi said, “Do you remember the bench upstairs?”

Luna came over to stand next to her and smiled demurely. “I do, Phi.”

“What symbols were where the numbers one, two, three and five are on this bench?”

Luna answered, and Phi was able to construct the passcode for the combination lock in the elevator: ‘Cylinder, Hourglass, Star, Star, Diamond’.

“I hope you two are having fun in that snuggle session,” Dio interrupted, “but there’s more important stuff for us to do.”

Dio was standing in front of the other object in the room that Phi hadn’t been able to see through the window. It was some sort of complex machine, and it was the focus of all the pipes mounted on the walls. Dio fiddled with some of the buttons on the machine, but it didn’t respond.

“Ugh. What conditions?!” Dio grumbled. His hands flurried over more of the controls. Phi could barely hear Dio mutter to himself, “… some of us are outside… are inside… conditions…”

“What do you mean, ‘more important’?” Phi asked irately, “We were solving part of the puzzle. Your thing better be pretty good if you’re going to claim it’s ‘more important’!”

Dio laughed. “I thought you were quicker on the uptake than that, Phi!” As Phi bristled, he explained, “‘PEC’. ‘Pressure Exchange Chamber’. That’s a fancy way of saying ‘Airlock’.” Dio sniggered as Phi’s eyebrow perked up. “Now you get it! There’s something through here. Maybe it’s a way to escape.”

Phi, incensed that she’d lost some of Dio’s respect, grasped for a counterargument. “You really think Zero would have missed something like that? This is their facility. They probably know everything about it.”

“Um… there is one way to find out whether or not we can get out,” Luna suggested, pointing at the wall opposite the one they had entered the chamber through, “We can examine that door and see if we can get out through it.” Luna walked with trepidation over to the far door and traced her fingers carefully. “Oh. Oh, I’m sorry. It’s been completely welded shut. We can’t get out this way.”

“See?” Phi said to Dio, smirking slightly, “You were wrong after all.”

 

Dio suddenly moved. Striding forward, he grabbed Phi’s wrist and pulled her away from Luna and towards the unlocked door of the airlock. Astonished, Phi lost her balance. Dio dragged her out of the chamber and let the door slam shut behind them. Once Dio stopped pulling Phi was able to get back on her feet. With a sharp movement of her hand, Phi broke his hold on her.

“What the hell, Dio?!”

Dio didn’t answer. He merely took off his helmet, and motioned for Phi to do the same. Phi did so cautiously.

“Sorry about that,” Dio said, “I needed to get us the chance to talk in private. You did want that, right?”

With her head still so close to the helmet, Phi was able to hear Luna’s voice from speakers inside it. “Hey… Phi, Dio, what’s happening?” Luna’s tinny voice said. So that was why Dio had wanted her to take off her helmet; there were radios in the suits, and Dio wanted to make sure their soon-to-be conversation wasn’t transmitted back to Luna.

“Okay, Dio…” Phi started.

There was a sudden windy roar from the other side of the window. Phi turned to see, through the window into the pressure exchange chamber, Luna’s protective suit billow out as the air around it was sucked away.

“Don’t be worried about her,” Dio said, “The suit should keep her safe. Well… reasonably safe. The only thing that’ll happen to her is that she’ll have to solve some puzzle or shit before she can get out.”

Phi accepted Dio’s explanation. She was too curious to hear what he had to say. “Okay then, Dio. Let’s talk. I’ll say it again: what did you mean by ‘our line of work’?” Phi decided she needed to turn on the charm offensive if she was going to get the answers she wanted out of Dio. “Sure, I get it. We’re both really cool people who have… interesting jobs.” Dio smiled as she said this, so Phi continued, “I want to know what you do. In your own words. And how you think you know what I do.”

Dio laughed vigorously. “Why, Phi? Crime. Anything beyond the laws that bind the ordinary people, the idiots. Infiltration, sabotage, extortion… you know what I’m talking about.”

“Assassination?”

Dio’s expression feigned outrage. “Assassination, Phi? I’m a gentleman!” Then his face softened. “Well, maybe once or twice. You know. When I had to.”

Phi considered what Dio had said. “So why are you telling me this, then?”

“Well, the way I see it, people like you and me, we can only trust those who are exactly like us. Different people, normal people, they fear greater people like us.”

Well, that was true. Dio was the only person to have acted even slightly normally towards Phi since the first Ambidex Game. Sigma had been completely ungrateful that Phi had helped him up to six BP. Luna was acting stranger and stranger, prevaricating between not even trying to help during the lounge puzzle, to somehow knowing about certain features of the PEC before anyone had even examined them. And all the others were just caught up in their own problems.

Dio continued, “So, it was fate or something that we were paired up together this round. Which is actually what I dragged you out here to talk about.”

Dio paused, his face looking thoughtful. He glanced cautiously through the window into the airlock. Phi followed his gaze. Though Luna’s face could not be seen through her suit, it was clear that she was solving the puzzles inside confidently.

“I want to vote ‘Betray’ against Luna in the next Ambidex Game,” Dio concluded.

Phi shuddered. She realised what that meant if Luna allied…

“No, not like that.” Dio noticed her discomfort and moved to reassure her. “I’m a gentleman, remember. There’s no way I’d want to kill her. I have very good reason to think she’ll also betray us. You must have noticed it too. How ridiculously weird she is. How she manages to be a complete know-it-all when it’s annoying, but never manages to get all the way round to actually helping with anything. You know what I think?

“I think she’s a robot!

“Just think about it. You saw that she had some crazy photographic memory thing. I think she’s got perfect memory because she’s just a computer program. She knows everything that’s going on ‘cause she’s here to watch us for Zero, make sure we do whatever he wants. And that means she isn’t gonna want us to escape.”

“Wait,” Phi said, “Sigma’s got an eidetic memory too…”

Dio interrupted, “Exactly. He’s got that crazy robotic eye which probably remembers everything for him. But Luna doesn’t have anything that looks like that. That means she must be hiding it.”

Dio’s hypothesis was plausible, and it tied together a lot of the evidence. It explained why, even though Phi had betrayed Luna in the first round, Luna was still willing to go with her; Luna didn’t care one jot about the points totals, only about Zero’s sinister plan. It also explained why Phi was so nervous of Luna even as she did nothing overtly threatening: the uncanny valley. Dio was right. They had no clue what Luna would do, and had to do everything they could to protect themselves.

 

However, before Phi could assent to Dio’s suggestion, the chamber behind them roared again as it refilled with air. Moments later, Luna emerged through the once-again unlocked door of the pressure exchange chamber, carrying a doll that looked like Zero’s avatar – though this one was much smaller than the model that had been in the chamber when they first entered. This time they left the door open so there was no danger of being trapped by the change of pressure again.

“Phi… Dio…” Luna started tearfully, “Why did you leave me behind in there? I was so worried. I kept calling to you but you had taken your helmets off so you couldn’t hear me.”

This time Phi recognised Luna’s behaviour for what it was: a carefully calculated attempt to garner sympathy. Phi ignored Luna and walked off to the elevator. Remembering the passcode she had worked out earlier using the benches – ‘Cylinder, Hourglass, Star, Star, Diamond’ – she opened up the compartment at the bottom of the elevator control panel and retrieved the object inside. It was a key.

Phi looked up to see Dio standing in front of the lockers holding a similar key; he must have acquired it when he was examining the machine in the airlock. Dio opened up one of the lockers and pulled out a book. Phi walked up behind him and peered at the contents of the binder over his shoulder. It wasn’t very informative. There was only one sheet of paper between the covers, and all that was printed on it were rows of coloured squares. They reminded Phi of the markings on the mysterious machine on the floor above.

Following Dio’s example, Phi used her own key to open up another locker. Inside was another orange protective suit. Phi was about to groan with disappointment, but then she noticed that this suit was much smaller than the ones they had worn. It seemed that this suit was useful after all.

 

It also seemed that they had exhausted the possibilities of the lower floor. They took the elevator back up and gathered their items in front of the strange machine: the smaller, child-sized protective suit, the doll that looked like Zero Jr., the computer tablet, and the book of coloured squares. Now that they knew what items would be used with the device they were able to examine it proficiently. Phi quickly found a cable reaching round from the back of the machine with its free end perfectly formed to fit into the tablet. As Phi plug it in it lit up, and after a short loading process it displayed instructions for the machine.

 ‘Inspecting the protective suit… System is still operating in diagnostic mode. Full range of scan is not possible, so small suits must be used for calibration. Please place the child-size protective suit in a standing position in the designated location.’ That must mean the stool with the weirdly shaped device – now revealed as a scanning device – around it.

“‘Standing position’…” Phi murmured. Then, inspiration. “That must be what the doll is for! If we put it inside the suit, it’ll support it.”

Dio grinned. “Clever,” he acknowledged, “Well? Let’s do it already!”

Soon the suit was stood up and ready to be scanned. Phi picked up the tablet again. Its screen was now divided into two sections: the part on the left displayed an image of the suit’s belly – now that it was unfolded Phi noticed that it had a pattern like a broken figure-eight on it – while the right hand side was ready to accept a three digit number.

“So, what do we do now?” Phi asked. She half expected Luna to answer, once again letting slip her incriminating foreknowledge of the structure of the puzzle, but Luna had reverted to silence and was not helping at all.

“Well, it’s a scanning device,” Dio stated, “Scan something already!”

Phi tapped the screen of the tablet, directing the machine’s focus to each line of the diagram on the suit’s chest. Each time she did so, the left of the screen flashed with a vibrant – but different each time – colour. Phi checked her suspicions by scanning a line twice in a row; when she did so it flashed the same colour both times.

Phi felt Dio leaning against her back as he looked over her at the tablet. Suddenly, he gasped, her hair parting at the forceful wave of air from his mouth. “Of course! Digital displays!” He pointed at the book and the rows of coloured squares it contained. “Each colour is one line of the display, right? Yeah. So if you have loads of colours you get loads of lines in the diagram…”

“… and they form numbers,” Phi finished for him, “Let me guess. There’s three lines of squares in the book, just like there is on the machine.” Dio nodded, so Phi continued, “Which one should we put in first?”

As Phi and Dio deliberated, Luna piped up. “Um… I think the one from the book is more important. It took us more effort to get it, so…” she trailed off.

Much as Phi distrusted Luna, she couldn’t argue with that. She readied herself and the tablet and waited for Dio to read out the colours. As he did so, she quickly scanned the segments of the figure-eight to confirm which ones were the given colours. She quickly worked out that the numbers were ‘623’; when she entered that number the tablet’s screen turned green and displayed the safe password. Luna looked at the screen, memorised it in Sigma-quick time, and then wandered over to the safe.

 

Once Luna had opened up the safe she cautiously passed Phi two items. The first was another map, this time showing the second floor: ‘Floor B’. Phi could see that the rooms on this floor were arranged into four groups, corresponding to the three Chromatic Doors, red, green and blue, as well as another large room – presumably another warehouse – and other rooms behind it that couldn’t be accessed until one of the puzzles was solved. The exit door of the PEC led straight into the second warehouse, but Phi could see a shortcut that would allow them back to the elevator to the first floor once they’d escaped. The second was a keycard to the AB room, this time bearing a crescent instead of the sun. Luna took her own AB keycard and the key for the exit door, and was about to collect the fifth and final item when Dio muscled his way past her and picked it up himself.

“I’ll keep this,” he said, twirling a blue memory card in his hand before sliding it into a deep pocket of his longcoat, “It looks interesting. We’d hate for it to disappear.” Phi agreed with Dio. With what they suspected Luna of, they could barely trust her with anything important.

Satisfied that the safe was empty, Luna closed it and headed towards the exit door brandishing the key. She was nearly there when Dio twisted his way past her and blocked her with his solid arm.

“Where you heading, Luna,” her asked her suggestively, “Do you not want to open up the other half of the safe?”

Of course. It was obvious. The other set of squares for the scanning machine should give them the other safe password, which would grant them a gold file full of extra information. Phi applauded Dio’s curiosity, and speculated about possible reasons for Luna to want to keep that information from them.

Luna squirmed in front of Dio. Eventually she gave up. “I… Okay, Dio.”

Phi went back over to the machine. The set of colours on the machine was much simpler, with only seven squares divided between the three numbers; Phi was able to translate it in her head to get the code ‘117’. This code gave her, as she and Dio had expected, the blue password for the safe.

Phi opened up the safe with this second password and took the gold file from inside. She browsed through its contents. “Rules of the AB Game… More rules of the AB Game… A reminder not to break the rules… Profiles of Tenmyouji and Quark? That’s interesting. Wonder why they’re in here? Apparently Tenmyouji’s a bit of a drunkard: likes his scotch.” Phi shuffled those sheets to the back of the binder and read the last one. “What’s this? ‘Hazmat Suit: The air in this facility is kept at a very high pressure relative to the outside environment. This it to prevent air contaminated by the virus from entering. All persons wishing to exit the facility must proceed through the pressure exchange chamber. In order to prevent the spread of the virus and maintain a sterile environment, all persons entering the PEC must where a specialised hazmat suit. Anyone not wearing a suit will not be allowed to enter the PEC.”

Dio smirked. “See! I was right. There is Radical-6 out there.”

Though there was information in the binder to vindicate Dio, there wasn’t anything else that Phi found useful. She left the binder behind.

 

Finally released by Dio, Luna unlocked the door and the three of them headed into the warehouse beyond. Phi and Dio walked together; it was clear who the pair were and who the solo was.

“Hey, Dio,” Phi said.

“Yeah?” Dio replied.

“About your suggestion earlier?”

Dio’s smirk told Phi that he remembered it.

“What suggestion?” Luna interrupted.

“It’s nothing to do with you,” Phi said. It was something to do with Luna, but Phi was hardly going to say that where she could overhear. Phi turned back to Dio and gave her answer.

“Yes. Yes we should.”

Dio smiled viciously, and Phi could hardly help but happily mirror him.

* * *

 

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_I should probably_ _explain here what I think is going on with the PEC puzzle, and how it'd work 'in real life'. The main problem with the PEC puzzle is the risk that all three players could enter the chamber and get trapped there, unable to access the file that explains how to get out if they haven't already picked it up. That's why I think the automatic activation of the PEC is set to only go off when there are players inside the chamber to pop Zero's balloon, and players outside to place the file up against the window if necessary. In VLR, that triggered when Clover flees the chamber leaving Tenmyouji and Sigma in there. In Empty Virtue, it triggered when Dio dragged Phi out, leaving Luna alone inside._


	22. Conscience Delayed, Conscience Denied

Phi and Dio ignored Luna as she walked towards the shortcut back to the elevator, preferring instead to search the lower floor’s warehouse together. The most striking feature was a set of three doors on the walls in the corner opposite the door from the PEC, just beyond where the AB Rooms would have been if this warehouse had been a copy of the warehouse on the upper floor. These three doors glowed invitingly; while they lacked the vibrant colours of the previous Chromatic Doors, judging by the displays reading ‘Lock’ beside each one there was only one thing they could possibly be.

“Chromatic Doors,” Phi murmured, “White Chromatic Doors. I wonder what that means the bracelet colours will be.”

“Heh. Maybe they’ll all be red, blue, and green, and we’ll need all three colours to get through. That’ll make the third round a proper free for all!” Dio replied with a grin.

“Hmm. Not sure how that would work in the third AB Game. The Prisoner’s Dilemma doesn’t really work with three people. That’s why it has always been two teams, a pair against a solo, so far.”

Dio laughed. “It’s not like it matters yet…”

Opposite the Chromatic Doors was a large metal slab of a door the same shape and in the same relative place as the Number Nine Door. Unlike the Number Nine Door, however, no attention was called to this door; where the Number Nine Door was emblazoned with a blood red ‘9’, this door seemed to be trying its best to merge into the surrounding walls; where the Number Nine Door was right next to the lever that would open it, there didn’t seem to be a way to open this door at all.

Having given up on any possibility of opening any of the doors heading to unexplored areas, Phi turned towards the shortcut back to the elevator. As she did so, she noticed that one of the walls had been painted with graffiti. This graffiti read, ‘Memento Mori. If the Nineth Lion ate the Sun.’

Seeing the direction of Phi’s gaze, Dio also read the graffiti. Then he laughed. “That idiot Zero couldn’t even manage to spell ‘ninth’ properly!”

“Hmm. I don’t think it was a mistake,” Phi said, “The graffiti on the upper floor was an anagram. If this one is too, then Zero might have needed to slot an extra ‘e’ into ‘ninth’.”

“Okay, then. What does it anagram to?”

Phi stared at the words. This anagram was much longer than the one she had solved previously. It would therefore be that much more complex to solve, and with Dio pressuring her to answer she knew she wouldn’t be able to solve it quickly enough. “I dunno.”

“It’s probably just another bullshit insult from Zero. I mean, seriously, how much did ‘Welcome to my Kingdom’ help us.” With that, Dio turned to leave. “Let’s go. There’s nothing interesting down here, and I’m looking forward to the next AB Game.”

He was probably right. Wasting time solving the difficult anagram wouldn’t help anybody, especially if the message in it was as meaningless as Dio expected it to be. Giving up with a forlorn shrug, Phi followed Dio back to the elevator.

 

Phi and Dio’s trip back to the upper floor was uneventful, and soon both of them had emerged from the magenta door into the original warehouse. Phi was surprised to find that Luna was not there. After all, she had left the lower floor much earlier than Phi and Dio had, and they hadn’t passed her on the way up.

Dio pointed at the row of AB rooms. “Well, you have the card. D’you wanna open them up?”

Phi took the keycard out of her pocket and swiped it through the card reader of the AB room at the end of the line. As she did so, the speakers announced her action to the entire facility.

“An Ambidex Gate has been opened. Forty five minutes remain until Ambidex polling closes.”

Phi grinned at Dio as she slipped the keycard back into her pocket. “Done,” she said. As Dio leaned against the wall, Phi looked at him thoughtfully. “Hey, Dio. There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

Dio tilted his head to look at her. “Go ahead.”

“Well…” Phi began, “I’ve gotta say it. When we first met, and before the first AB Game, you were acting kind of idiotically nasty.” As Phi said that, she realised that it would work better if she reassured Dio’s ego. “Nothing like how smart you were in the PEC. What’s up with that?”

Dio chuckled. “Well, of course it was just an act. You should try pretending to be thick some time; it’s quite liberating. I didn’t want any of the suckers here to realise how capable I was. It’s only sensible.”

Phi figured he was right. Sigma’s mistrust of her had started when she had realised that dropping to zero BP would result in death; pretending not to be clever enough to guess that would have had a far superior outcome compared to what had actually happened.

Dio continued, “Anyway, I needed to sound everyone out before I knew who I could trust.” Dio tipped his top hat. “I’ll probably have to start performing for the idiots again soon. Don’t want them realising we’re working together. You can deal with that, right?”

“Sure,” Phi replied, “It’ll be just like when we made sure we took Luna with us through the blue door.”

 

Just then, the magenta door opened and K appeared through it. He walked quickly towards the two of them looking flustered.

“Ah. Phi, Dio, you are already here. Have either of you seen Quark?”

Phi shook her head as Dio scoffed. “What, has Tenmyouji managed to lose the runt?” Dio asked mockingly. He had switched back to his previous persona remarkably smoothly. Now that Phi knew the reasoning behind it, she overcame the subconscious revulsion that Dio was trying to engender, and was instead fascinated with the perfect competence of his acting. Even as Dio subsumed himself completely in his role, Phi could see how his actions aided his real goals. “Seems Quark was better off when he was my partner. Maybe Tenmyouji should accept he’s gone senile and let someone better take over.”

K ignored Dio and explained the situation. Quark and Tenmyouji had gone with K through the green door to a room called the ‘Treatment Centre’. K and Tenmyouji had solved the puzzle in there easily enough, but when they had opened the door to exit Quark had left first and disappeared.

K and Tenmyouji had searched the lower floor for the boy, but had not found him by the time they had reunited with Sigma, Alice and Clover. While Sigma and Tenmyouji had stayed on the lower floor to continue searching, K, Alice and Clover had returned to the upper floor and split up to search the lounge, infirmary and crew quarters simultaneously.

As if to confirm K’s statement, Clover arrived through the yellow door. She looked at K, who shook his head, and then marched wrathfully up to Dio, jabbing him forcefully in the chest with the outstretched finger. “What the hell, Dio!” she shouted in his face. “You opened the AB Rooms before we were back!”

Dio shrugged and waved his hands in the air. “Nothing to do with me. Phi was the one who used the card.” As Clover and K turned to stare at Phi, Dio softened his statement. “Okay, fine, it was a mutual decision. Besides, you’re all out now, so what’s the problem?”

“Quark! Quark, you bastards!”

“What about Quark?” Dio asked with an innocent tone.

“Quark’s missing, and thanks to you we only have less than an hour to find him!”

Dio’s expression remained neutral, but acidic scorn dripped from his voice. “I’m sure Quark can rely on Tenmyouji to vote for him. They trust each other _so_ much.”

It seemed not even Clover’s righteous fury could break through Dio’s calculated infuriating obliviousness. Clover gave up, shoved Dio away and stomped away from him.

Dio chuckled. “I was getting bored of this anyway,” he said, “I think I’ll go and have another look downstairs. Who knows, maybe I’ll be the one to find Quark?”

 

Smirking mercilessly, Dio strolled off towards the yellow door. Phi wondered why Dio had chosen to head through the infirmary, when the path through the magenta door was much quicker. Still, she couldn’t chase Dio down and ask him, not without revealing their closer relationship to Clover and K.

It seemed, however, that at least some of the rapport between her and Dio had come to the attention of the others. “Phi, ah, you and Dio made a ‘mutual decision’ to open the Ambidex Rooms…” K said suggestively.

“Hey, don’t get me wrong, K,” Phi replied, “We just worked together during the puzzle. So when he asked me to open the door I agreed. There’s nothing else to it.” Phi changed the subject – just coincidentally in a direction that would satisfy her curiosity – by asking questions of the two people who remained. “So, which rooms did you guys explore downstairs?”

K answered first, “As I had previously mentioned, Tenmyouji, Quark and I found a room called the treatment centre. Unlike the infirmary, there were no medicines there. Instead there were three pods, which could be used to treat injuries or cryogenically store a person. Part of our puzzle involved testing their capabilities.”

“Wait, cryogenic storage?” Phi asked. The implications of that struck her instantly. “If you were to freeze someone, wouldn’t that stop their heart and disable their bracelet?”

K shook his head sadly. “Unfortunately, no. When Tenmyouji and I doubled back while searching for Quark, we found that the cryogenic mode of the pods was disabled the moment we solved the puzzle. It appears that Zero was aware of the possibility you have suggested, and moved to prevent us from using it.”

Then Clover described the room she had entered with Sigma and Alice. “It was called the pant… no, pantry…” She looked sheepish as she corrected herself. “There was lots and lots of food there but Alice wouldn’t let me eat any of it.” As Clover frowned, Phi stomach rumbled sympathetically. She didn’t know how long it had been since they had last eaten, and she could imagine how famished Clover had been when she’d had access to but not eaten the food.

Phi was about to describe the PEC when K interrupted her with a question. “Phi, did not Luna go through the blue door with you? I have not seen her since.”

Phi shrugged. “I’m not sure what happened to her. She left us soon after we solved the puzzle. We didn’t pass her when we came back here, so I guess she must still be on the lower floor. You didn’t pass her, did you?”

K said that he hadn’t. Phi glanced at Clover, trying to get a response out of her, but Clover had become sullenly agitated since she had last spoken, and hadn’t noticed Phi speaking. With several vigorous hand gestures right in front of Clover’s face, Phi was finally able to get her attention.

“Oh, uh, yeah…” Clover mumbled, “I was just getting worried about Alice. Shouldn’t she be here by now?”

Now that Clover had mentioned it, Phi realised that Alice had taken too long as well. If K, Clover and Alice had taken the same elevator up then, though whoever searched the crew quarters – presumably Alice – did have father to go, the three of them should have arrived at the warehouse with only small intervals of time between them. Instead K and Clover had arrived at nearly the same time, but Alice was nowhere to seen.

Clover raced away towards the cyan door. “I need to go and find her!” she shouted. Before K or Phi could react the cyan door had closed behind the retreating pink-haired girl.

 

Phi and K waited in silence for Clover to return. There wasn’t really anything more to say. K still made Phi rather nervous: the psychological benefits to K of having his face and any unintentional incriminating expressions covered, as well as the sheer advantage in brute force that came from being encased in a metal suit, were salient in her mind. For his part, K seemed content to also remain quiet.

But after about five minutes they realised that Clover was taking far too long to return. It was as if she had vanished into the same black hole that had claimed Quark, Luna and Alice.

“Ah, Phi…” K said, breaking the uncomfortable silence, “I am beginning to get worried about Clover. Perhaps we should go into the crew quarters together? I would prefer not to split up the entire group.”

Phi followed K to the cyan door. When the secondary door to the crew quarters opened, Phi saw Clover standing to the left looking into one of the rooms that branched off the main corridor. Clover’s face had a blank, pale expression, and she didn’t react to their entry at all.

“Hey, Clover!” Phi shouted.

No response.

“Clover, what are you looking at?”

No response.

“Hey, Clover, answer me!”

That was when Phi reached Clover, and was able to look in and see what she saw.

 

Alice, dead. Her body was slumped against the far wall of the room. A knife was embedded in her chest, straight through her heart. Her bracelet was off, lying inert by her wrist.

Luna, dead. She was sprawled across the floor. The only mark on her body was a small puncture on her neck. Phi immediately saw what had caused that wound: an innocuous looking injection gun lying on the ground beside Luna. Her bracelet was off, lying inert by her wrist.

No wonder Clover was frozen. These deaths, including her best friend, were so sudden. Phi considered trying to comfort Clover but gave up: comforting wasn’t her strong suit, and in any case Clover wasn’t hearing anything that was said to her.

Phi wanted to find out who had killed them, but events had happened so quickly that Phi had no idea where to begin. With people searching all over the facility for Quark, almost anyone could have had the opportunity to kill Alice and Luna.

Phi needed to find the others, tell them what had happened. Leaving Clover to K’s care, she sprinted towards the elevator down to the lower floor. Fortunately, she didn’t have to run far. Dio was taking to Sigma and Tenmyouji in the elevator waiting area. Panting from the sudden rush of exertion, Phi exclaimed, “We found something! C’mon, all of you!” All three of them started asking questions, but Phi was too flustered to explain properly. “You’ll understand when you get there, alright? Now, come on!”

 

Phi led the three of them back to the crew quarters, where the grisly sight awaited them. When Sigma saw the bodies lying there, he immediately rushed over to Alice and checked her pulse; Phi knew that it was useless. Sigma announced what the rest of them already knew. “They’re dead... Both of them.”

No-one answered. No-one could answer. The only possible constructive thing to say would be to identify the killer, but only the killer him-or-herself could do that. And there was no chance that the murderer would willingly reveal themselves.

Sigma continued speaking. “Who… who found them?”

Clover whimpered. Phi waited for her to speak, but Clover was currently incapable of saying anything further. Eventually, Phi realised she had to speak for Clover. Even so, she could barely look Sigma in the eye as she said it. “Clover, I think” Phi said, “When K and I ran over, she was just kind of standing there next to the bodies. It was pretty clear they were both dead.”

Sticking in character, Dio quickly tried to assign blame. “I think Clover killed them. You got into a fight with Alice after you betrayed her in the AB Game, didn’t you? It looked like you two knew each other before you ended up here, so you’re more likely than anyone else to have a motive for murder. It’s easy to see why she would have killed Luna too. She probably caught you offing Alice so you did her in too, so she wouldn’t rat you out.”

Sigma placed a hand firmly on Dio’s chest. “Stop it, Dio,” he commanded.

Frowning thoughtfully, Tenmyouji offered his own idea. “The AB Game is a motive too. Once someone’s dead they can’t vote anymore. That means they’ll automatically vote ‘Ally’. If your opponent is guaranteed to ally, then that’s an easy three points.”

Phi apprehensively realised the implication of what Tenmyouji was saying. He was trying to pin the blame on her and Dio!

It was K who said that out loud. “Then that would mean that Dio had a motive as well.”

“Yup,” Tenmyouji confirmed, “Then Alice saw him killing Luna, so he had to shut her up.”

Dio was outraged. “What kind of cold-hearted bastard kills a lady for a few points?!”

Phi could see the comeback ‘You’ preparing itself on Tenmyouji’s lips. She needed to distract him. “I’m more interested in Alice’s condition than in her killer’s motives,” she said: the first sensible thing that came to mind. “Her clothes are barely disturbed.”

K continued Phi’s train of thought. “If it weren’t for the knife and, ah, the blood, she would look as if she were sleeping.”

“Well, maybe she was just killed while she was sleeping?” Dio suggested.

K shook his head. “If she wanted to take a nap, why sit on the floor when there’s a bed nearby?”

“That is a little strange,” Phi said, “But a better question is: would she really be taking a nap right now anyway? Hardly seems time for a nap…”

Dio answered her question. “She was probably put to sleep, then. Just the same way as Zero Sr. knocked the rest of us out. However it happened, one of the people in this room did it.” As he said that, Dio grinned mischievously. “Well… maybe not one of the people in this room. I forgot about somebody, didn’t I? Quark!”

Okay. That was out of line. Phi couldn’t imagine Quark being able to murder two fully grown women. Dio could only have said that to intentionally rile Tenmyouji. Phi was anxious to call Dio out, to show that she disapproved. But, no. She couldn’t. She was already in too deep. Who else was going to be her ally in this game? Sigma already completely distrusted her. From the speed with which Tenmyouji had considered the possibility of Phi and Dio of being complicit in Luna’s murder, Phi considered it entirely likely that Sigma had explained his suspicion of Phi to Tenmyouji. With a sinking thud in her stomach, Phi realised that Dio had also arranged it so that K and Clover would lump Phi and him together, by waiting with her in the warehouse and ensuring that they made a ‘mutual decision’ to open the AB Gate. She was already in too deep. Phi stayed silent.

Unaware of Phi’s concerns, Dio continued, “He disappears, and suddenly there’s a murder? I dunno about you, but that seems pretty suspicious to me.”

Unable to take Dio’s needling any more, Tenmyouji yelled, “That’s crazy! Quark couldn’t have done this!”

Dio smirked. “Ooh! I might have it backwards. If he wasn’t the murderer, maybe he was one of the murdered. That would explain his sudden disappearance, right?”

Even as she remained silent, Phi was torn. She had respected Dio. She had almost even liked him. Surely there was some explanation for this, some plot or plan or stratagem that she could admire, concealed somewhere in Dio’s actions?  She couldn’t imagine that Dio solely intended to hurt Tenmyouji, at no benefit to himself. That wasn’t possible. It wasn’t.

 

Tenmyouji looked ready to punch Dio, but before he could do so he was interrupted. “Ten minutes remaining until Ambidex polling closes,” the announcement came.

Dio nodded to some imaginary source of the announcement. “Alright, time to head to the AB Rooms, guys.”

“Come on, we’ve got more important things to worry about.”

Dio chuckled. “Oh, you’re gonna abstain, huh? That’s some good luck for you, Clover. Sigma was paired with Alice. Sadly, it looks like she won’t be able to vote during this round. If Sigma abstains, then you’ll have no-one voting against you.”

Clover didn’t respond. She was still transfixed, gazing meekly at Alice’s corpse.

“Woah!” Sigma exclaimed, “I didn’t say anything about not voting.”

Dio pointed at him. “So, you are gonna vote? How exciting. Sigma has six BP, just like Clover. That means this is a one-on-one fight to escape. If one of them can trick the other one, they’ll have enough to get out of here. Can’t wait to see who wins. Oh, this is definitely getting interesting”

Everyone left. Phi found herself trailing behind, even behind the sluggishly moving Clover. Some small amount of curiosity held her back. She recalled Dio’s suggestion about Luna; this was her last chance to investigate it. She knelt down next to Luna’s body, located the wound on her neck, and pressed down firmly.

A small trickle of white liquid seeped out.

Dio had been right. For all his faults, he’d guessed right, and told her the truth when he had the chance. Luna was not human. Phi had no idea what that meant. Was Luna working for Zero? Could Luna even be properly dead? If Luna was still alive – no, just active – then what would Zero Sr. use her for when she reanimated?

 Her answers found, Phi fled from the crew quarters.

 

Phi couldn’t stay in the Nonary Game any longer. She didn’t care about anything anymore but getting out. Too many people had died, or gone missing, and with this latest revelation… well, it was now clear that Dio intended to vote ‘Betray’ and escape this round, and if that was the case, then Phi was going to join him!

The only question was who else could escape with them. Of the survivors, all but Tenmyouji were on six points. Unfortunately, Tenmyouji was K’s opponent: K couldn’t escape without killing Tenmyouji. So it came down to which of Sigma or Clover Phi could save. The answer was obvious: Sigma. Clover wouldn’t react whatever Phi said to her. Sigma might.

Phi entered the warehouse to see Sigma trying to talk to Clover, Tenmyouji and K already in their AB Rooms, and Dio approaching another one.

“Hey, wait a second, Dio. I need to talk to Sigma.”

Dio stopped, and then leaned against the wall between two AB Rooms. “Don’t mind me. I want to see what happens here.”

Phi approached Sigma cautiously. He had given up talking to Clover, but he didn’t quite turn around to face Phi. “I still don’t want to talk to you, Phi. Are you happy with what happened to Luna?”

Phi forced her way through the guilt and got to the point. “How are you planning to vote?”

Sigma grunted scornfully, but answered her question. “I was just talking to Clover about that. We’re planning to both vote ‘Ally’.”

“I thought so. Sigma, listen to me. Dio and I are basically guaranteed to get to nine BP by the end of this round.”

Sigma looked shocked. “You’re going to choose ‘Betray’?”

Phi sighed, then said, “Luna’s not wearing her bracelet any more. That means it won’t do anything if her BP goes negative. Well, it’s not like it can make her any deader anyway.” That was true, but not in the way she intended for Sigma to take it. Still, he was unlikely to believe the truth – especially from her – so it was better just to keep it simple. “You have to betray Clover. If you get to nine BP you can come with us.”

“Wait. You mean you’re planning to escape?”

“Of course. If you don’t come with us, you’re stuck here for the rest of your life.

Sigma tried to argue. “If you just wait until everyone’s got nine BP…”

“You really think Dio’s going to stick around when he’s got enough points to split? Make a choice here, Sigma. The Number Nine Door’s only going to open once.” Before Sigma could argue anymore, Phi turned away, heading to where Dio was standing by the AB Room. She had to hope that Sigma would listen to her.

 

As Phi entered the Ambidex Room, she noticed something surprising. Dio had let her enter first. He only waited till she was already in before swinging in casually behind her. If she wanted to, she could dash forward now, choose the vote herself. This was her last chance to change her mind. Should she? Should she vote ‘Ally’?

The only reason she could find for doing so was that she didn’t think Sigma would be cold-blooded enough to betray Clover. Could Phi risk leaving him behind? Could Phi risk staying inside the facility, where people were dying and where a robot with unknown programming was waiting to reactivate and do whatever it was programmed to do.

Then there was Dio to consider. Phi was certain that he was committed to choosing ‘Betray’ and escaping. How would he react if she overwrote his decision?

As Dio swung himself into the AB room behind her, Phi lunged forward and pressed the button of her choice.

 

**Choice:**  
**A) Ally**  
**B) Betray**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_You guys know what to do. Will Phi ally, or will she betray?_


	23. Whoops! 2: Dio Ex Machina

_We had a tie in the voting: 1-1. So, I'll go with the one that was voted for first._

* * *

Phi stepped forward swiftly, pressing the button on the screen that would activate it for the AB Game. The moment the doors closed behind her and Dio, and the moment that the options appeared on the screen, Phi’s finger lashed out… onto ‘Ally’. She had made her choice, for better or worse.

Suddenly, her shoulders were gripped painfully from behind. A forceful kick into her ankle tripped her, and she found herself being shoved face first into the AB Room wall. She yelped as she crashed into it, and tried to squirm away, but she was pinned firmly.

“I saw what you did, Phi,” Dio snarled coldly, “You won’t get away with interfering with my plans.” Once again, his demeanour had changed completely. There was no hint of the wittiness or bravado that had drawn her to him, or even his playful nastiness. There was only a chilling hatred, and the remorseless pressure that he applied to her arms to remind her that Dio had complete power over her.

“Round two of the Ambidex Game has been completed,” said the announcement voice, “Results will be displayed in the warehouse.”

As the doors opened, Dio quickly released her. He wouldn’t allow any of the other players see what he had done to her. Phi slid limply down the wall, her arms completely numb from the lingering aftereffects of Dio’s crushing grip. Eventually, Phi recovered; she was able to haul herself up and stagger out of the AB Room to join the others in front of the results screen. Phi made sure to join the crowd on the opposite side from Dio: any space between them at all was a small but necessary comfort.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

Tenmyouji                      1                             Ally                         +2                           3  
Quark                             6                                                            +2                           8

K                                    6                             Ally                          +2                           8

 

Sigma                             6                           Betray                        +3                           9  
Alice                               1                                                            +3                           4

Clover                            6                             Ally                           -2                           4

 

Phi                                 6                             Ally                          +2                           8  
Dio                                6                                                             +2                           8

Luna                              1                             Ally                          +2                           3

 

Sigma had actually done it. Phi couldn’t quite believe it. Where Phi had changed her mind at the last moment, Sigma had actually gone ahead and betrayed Clover. He, alone among all of them, had enough points to escape. And it looked like he was going to do exactly that. Already, he had separated himself from the rest of the group and was walking towards the Number Nine Door. As he placed his hand on the lever, he turned and grimaced forlornly at Phi.

“I just give up on you lot,” he said quietly, though the acoustics and echoes of the warehouse ensured that everyone heard exactly what he said, “Especially you, Phi. When I wanted to ally, you picked betray. Then you try and convince me to betray so we can get out together, and you vote ‘Ally’ instead. You’re hopeless. I don’t get you, Phi, and I don’t really care to.” Now Sigma’s wizened face became weary, as worn down as Phi had ever seen him. “All I care about now is getting out of here.”

“Wait, Sigma! Don’t!” Phi yelled, “You can still wait for us to all get nine points. You don’t have to open it up yet…”

Phi was hardly the only one to try and persuade Sigma to stay. There was a cry of “You should have kept your promise, you jerk! You liar! You coward!” from Clover, while Tenmyouji also asked if Sigma was just trying to reduce his own risk by getting to nine BP, and would still wait for the others. But it was Phi who Sigma directed his answer too.

“And what? Wait to die like Alice, or Luna? No thanks.”

Sigma pulled the lever down.

“No! You wouldn’t dare!” Dio rushed forward, trying to catch Sigma. It seemed that, in his fury, Dio would settle for keeping Sigma in with the rest of them.

But it was too late. Sigma ducked under the rising door and shuffled a couple of steps back from the threshold. Dio skidded to a halt, just in front of the door. Sigma was only an arm’s length from him, but it was hopeless. Moving any closer would mean death.

“The Number Nine Door has been opened. It will remain open for nine seconds.” The speakers announced that which was obvious to all.

Sigma sighed as he waited for the door to close. “Look, when I get out, I’ll try to contact the police or something, get help. I’m sure you won’t be stuck in here forever.” He turned away into the gloom behind the Number Nine Door. The remaining five could only stand and watch as the door closed behind him, forever sealing their only route of escaping.

“The Number Nine Door has closed. This ends the Nonary Game. Thank you for your participation. As the game is over, all doors other than the Number Nine Door have been unlocked. Escape is not possible. Please enjoy your stay.”

It was over.

 

Phi stood there and tried to catch her breath, watching as Dio hammered futilely against the door. It had happened so quickly. Phi still couldn’t quite believe that she had changed her mind. If she had voted ‘Betray’, as she and Dio had originally intended, she would now be out and free. Instead, she had wavered, and was trapped.

Phi was snapped back to the present when Tenmyouji started to talk. “There’s no point in me just standing around here miserably,” he said, starting to walk towards the magenta door, “I need to go and find Quark.”

“I shall assist you,” K said in turn, “According to the announcement of the end of the game, all of the doors in this facility have been unlocked. That may mean that we have more area to search, but it also suggests that Quark will be more capable of returning to us if he gets the chance. In any case, if Sigma was telling the truth we may soon be rescued by the authorities. It would be for the best if we had already found Quark when that happens, so that we can all leave together.”

As Tenmyouji and K left towards the elevator down to the lower floor, Dio called after them, “Heh. Do whatever you like. It’s not like it matters anymore. Still, I might as well go and see what this dump has to offer. Better than just waiting around to be saved like a complete loser, right? Besides, there’s still some stuff I need to do.”

Once Dio had also left, Phi had to decide what to do. Talking to Clover was still out of the question: she was practically catatonic. Phi decided to check up on Luna’s and Alice’s bodies again. She wanted to see what the consequences of Luna being a robot would be now that the Nonary Game had finished. Also, now that the rush of the AB Game had finished, she felt she should do something to provide a little bit more dignity for Alice, rather than just leaving her where she had been murdered. It was only a short walk back to the crew quarters. Approaching the dormitory in which the bodies were was easier this time; Phi was already inured to the shocking sight that she expected. Instead, an entirely different shocking sight awaited her.

Luna’s body had vanished. The knife that had been embedded in Alice’s chest had been removed.

Phi guessed that Luna must have reactivated during the Ambidex Game. Everyone had been inside one AB Room or another; no-one had been left to keep an eye on the bodies. It would have been the perfect time for Luna to leave. Phi frantically searched the room for any evidence as to where Luna had gone or what she was going to do.

 

Phi only realised that someone else was in the crew quarters with her when the knife entered her back. The vicious stab had been aimed perfectly to cause the maximum amount of debilitating pain. Phi collapsed. As she fell, she tried to turn over so that she could see her assailant.

It was Dio.

“I told you you’d regret turning on me,” he snarled at her, “That pain? Consider it your punishment for disobeying me, a superior and pure being, and for disrupting my destiny.”

‘Superior being’? ‘His destiny’? What the hell was he on about?

“Heh. Don’t worry,” Dio continued mock-jovially, “You haven’t actually hindered anything. I can still fulfil my duty. It’ll just be a little more… explosive.”

Even as she started to weaken and her vision faded, Phi saw Dio retrieve an item from under his hat. He knelt down and smugly waved it in front of her face. It was a small cylindrical capsule with complicated devices on each end and a brilliant, blinding light emanating from a vaguely shaped speck at the centre.

“Hey, Phi, do you know what this is?” Dio asked mockingly.

With one last burst of effort, Phi craned her neck up to inspect it more closely. She saw that the speck of the matter in the capsule was being held in place, levitated by some unseen force so that it didn’t touch any wall of its container. That sort of technology was ridiculously expensive, so there was only use of it that was in any way practical. The capsule was an antimatter bomb.

Phi no longer had enough breath to speak, but Dio must have seen that she knew the answer in her eyes, because he said, “Yeah, that’s right!” Dio placed the bomb on the floor in front of her face, then retrieved a detonator from his coat, placing his thumb over the ominous red button at the centre. “Hey, if I set this off now, do you think the explosion will catch up to that senile idiot Sigma before he gets out of here?”

 

As her mind disappeared into the void, Phi would never know whether it was the knife or bomb that killed her first.

 

**Game Over…**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Here's our second bad end. As before, I'll most likely continue by going back and switching our last vote to 'Betray' to continue the route. However, if you want to go somewhere else, just leave a comment below._


	24. Brave New World

Phi stepped forward swiftly, pressing the button on the screen that would activate it for the AB Game. The moment the doors closed behind her and Dio, and the moment that the options appeared on the screen, Phi’s finger lashed out… onto ‘Betray’. She was committed. Whatever his other flaws, Dio had the right idea: they needed to escape now.

As she turned around, Dio chuckled, patting her on the back. “Ha! I knew I could rely on you.” It was clear that he had seen the decision Phi had made; just as clearly, he approved.

Before Dio could continue, an announcement interrupted him. “Round two of the Ambidex Game has been completed. Results will be displayed in the warehouse.”

The AB Gates opened. The moment that he could leave, Dio advanced purposefully on the Number Nine Door, completely ignoring the results screen, twitching with excitement because of his certainty that he would be able to leave. Phi also knew that she was able to escape, but there was one last thing she had to check before she could do so.

“Wait! Dio!” she called after him.

Her cry called everyone’s attention to where Dio was standing proudly in front of the Number Nine Door. Clover, who was closest, noticed him first. “What are you doing, Dio?!” she yelled breathlessly.

“No! He’s going to try and open it!” Tenmyouji tried to rush towards Dio and stop him, but Dio already had his hands round the lever.

Dio turned to face everyone else, a smug grin on his face. “Damn right I am.”

Clover, still in shock, leaned against the wall of the AB Room. “But the results…”

Dio laughed. “Ha… like I need to wait for that.”

Phi rushed up to join him. She explained, “Our BP was nine the moment we stepped out of the AB room.”

“Why didn’t you stop Dio from choosing ‘Betray’?” Tenmyouji asked. Phi couldn’t bring herself to frankly answer him ‘Because I picked ‘Betray’ myself’.

“You got the wrong idea, old man,” Dio said, “This wasn’t just my decision. We both decided to vote this way.”

K sighed thoughtfully. “Then why did you try and stop Dio, Phi? I believe I heard you cry out ‘Wait!’ as he headed towards the Number Nine Door.”

“Did you just want to get your BP up to nine to reduce your own risk?” Tenmyouji asked hopefully.

Phi shook her head. “Sorry, but no. The only reason I stopped Dio was because I needed to know what someone else voted.” As she spoke, Phi realised that Sigma hadn’t said anything since the end of the Ambidex Game. She didn’t know whether this was good news or bad. Before she could ask him, though, the results were displayed.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

Tenmyouji                      1                             Ally                         +2                           3  
Quark                             6                                                            +2                           8

K                                    6                             Ally                         +2                           8

 

Sigma                             6                           Betray                       +3                           9  
Alice                               1                                                           +3                           4

Clover                             6                            Ally                          -2                           4

 

Phi                                  6                          Betray                       +3                            9  
Dio                                  6                                                          +3                            9

Luna                               1                            Ally                          -2                           -1

 

 

Sigma had done it; he was able to escape with them. Phi was relieved. As many people as possible would be escaping the Nonary Game. Sigma rushed over to join her and Dio as fast as he could, though he still didn’t say anything. He seemed almost surprised at the decision he had made. Besides, after all the flak he had directed at Phi, it must have been hard for him to find himself making the same choices for the same reasons.

Clover stared at the results screen in disgust. “That… no…” she murmured weakly, before exploding with anger, “You should have kept your promise, you jerk! You liar! You coward! You don’t care about anybody but yourself! All you wanted was to get out of here!”

Sigma tried to babble out a response but failed, being drowned out by Clover’s increasingly loud rebuke; he fell silent. Dio then ended any remaining possibility for discussion by pulling down the lever.

“Sorry,” Dio said calmly as the metal door slowly rose behind him, “I went ahead and opened it. I’m gonna have plenty of time to watch soaps on the outside, so I don’t feel like I need to stick around and see how this little drama plays out.” Dio turned and stepped towards the opening Number Nine Door. “Alright, lady and gentleman. Shall we?”

When Phi and Sigma both instinctively hesitated to follow him, Dio spun around to face them, gesturing expansively. “Why so serious? This really isn’t the time for hesitation.” He then pointed at Clover, still cowering next to the AB Rooms, and then in the direction of the crew quarters, where Luna had died. “You both crossed a line you weren’t supposed to cross. You betrayed your friends. Am I right? Of course I’m right.” Dio giggled slightly as he decided how best to gloat. “But you didn’t have a choice, did you? You had to survive!”

Even though Dio directed this line both to Sigma and Phi, it hit Phi hardest. As he said it, Phi realised how badly she’d been manipulated by him. If she had been prepared to oppose Dio in the AB Room… Instead she had forced Sigma into the same decision.

No… it wasn’t her fault. It couldn’t be. She’d done her best with the opportunities she’d had. It was the remorseless logic of game theory that brought them here. It wasn’t her fault.

Dio noticed her distress, and winked. “Isn’t that the way an animal thinks though?” Dio continued, “Don’t get me wrong, I see the logic, but it’s… animal logic. Still, you made your bed, now you’ve gotta lie in it. If you’re gonna be an animal, _be an animal._ Own it! The losers, the weak? Throw ’em away, leave them to rot! That’s life at its most pure!” Dio stepped back through the fully open Number Nine Door. He gestured for them to follow, saying, “Now c’mon, hurry up. I’ve got my ticket out of here, and it’s no skin off my back if you waste yours.”

Phi grudgingly stepped forward. She made her way safely to the other side of the threshold when she realised Sigma hadn’t followed. She turned to see him standing frozen in front of the Number Nine Door as it began to close. To come so close to escaping only to succumb to weakness at the very end… she couldn’t let that happen to Sigma.

“Let’s go, Sigma!” she shouted straight into his face, hoping to stir up a response.

Sigma didn’t move. “Buh…” he mumbled.

“Shut up! Just do it!”

Sigma didn’t move. The door drifted even lower.

Before it was too late, Phi ducked under the door, grasped his arm and pulled him through.

 

As the Number Nine Door finally closed behind them, the speakers announced the end of the game. “The Number Nine Door has closed. This ends the Nonary Game. Thank you for playing.” The moment the speech had ended, there was a satisfying click as the three bracelets unlocked from their wrists and clattered harmlessly to the floor.

Dio kicked his forwards onto the platform-like elevator in the centre of the room – raised slightly compared to the rest of the floor and separated from it by a flimsy-looking metal railing – then stomped on it viciously, savouring the crunch as the screen shattered and whatever mechanisms were inside broke. “Do you hear that, Zero?!” he yelled into the expanse of the elevator shaft, “That means I won! I beat your dumb ass!”

Phi, slowed down by the need to continue carrying Sigma forward, supporting his tentative steps by bracing one of his arms around her back, was still lingering closer to the door. She could hear the remaining players calling after them, but only Tenmyouji was loud enough to be heard through the thick steel. “Sigma! Phi! Dio!” he shouted desperately, “Open up! Open this goddamn door!”

There wasn’t any way to do that though, no sign of any controls on this side of the door, so Phi ignored him – it wasn’t her fault that she couldn’t help, right? – and helped Sigma forward onto the elevator. Sigma let go of her and leaned wearily against the railing. Now that they were all aboard, Dio used the elevator control panel to activate the elevator and it slowly rose, leaving the Nonary Game below them.

When they finally reached the top of the elevator shaft, Dio smirked and pointed at the door that had opened to receive them. “All righty then. Here we are.” Before either Sigma or Phi cold respond, Dio practically skipped down the hallway behind the door.

Phi and Sigma grudgingly followed him. The hallway Dio was leading them down was cavernously wide, almost enough so to drive a car down, if it weren’t for the tangled and confused mess of familiar looking pipes arrayed on both walls and also the ceiling. Unlike the similar pipes in the PEC some of these pipes were much larger, maybe even large enough for a small child to fit into and move along. At the end of the corridor was a door, which opened up onto a room that was a carbon copy of the preparation room for the pressure exchange chamber that she, Dio and Luna had searched.

Phi turned to Sigma. “Hey, Sigma. This is a…” she began to explain.

“Yeah, I know,” Sigma snapped, “Tenmyouji and I visited the one downstairs when we were looking for Quark.”

Dio was already manhandling a protective suit out of a locker. “Then you should already know what to do, right?”

Sigma looked confused, so Phi explained, “The pressure in here is a lot higher than the pressure outside. Apparently they’re doing it to keep the virus from getting in. If you’re leaving, you have to lower the pressure until it matches what’s outside. Those suits keep you from being infected once you’re outside. You have to put one on before you can go into the pressure exchange chamber.”

Sigma seemed to understand what she was saying, so Phi went over to the locker next to Dio and picked out a suit of her own. She was halfway into it when Sigma erupted with frantic questions.

“Whoa whoa whoa, wait, go back! You said there’s some kind of mysterious _virus_ out there!”

Dio chuckled, seemingly unconcerned by the subject of Sigma’s outburst. “Well, I wouldn’t say it’s mysterious. It’s that Radical-6.”

Sigma was shocked by Dio’s statement. Phi could see the gears working in his mind, suggesting that the outside world was too dangerous, that they should return to the safety of the lower levels of the facility. Phi couldn’t allow that. If they didn’t leave, everything she had done, all the betrayals, the shame and guilt of having been so thoroughly manipulated by Dio, it would all be for nothing. Phi had to go on.

Before Sigma’s conclusion could coalesce completely, Phi purposefully interrupted his thoughts. “Well, we’ve come this far,” she said firmly, “We can’t turn back now. Let’s get these suits on and head outside.” Before anyone could argue, Phi finished putting on her protective suit and opened up the gate to the elevator down to the PEC itself.

Sigma and Dio joined her, and soon they were outside the sealable door into the PEC. They were all fully protected, so the handwheel of the door turned easily in Dio’s hands. Phi could hear Dio giggling softly to himself through the helmet radios. After he closed up the door again, and as the air was drawn from the chamber, Dio spoke. “I never thought I’d succeed so easily.”

“You mean getting out of here?” Sigma asked.

“No, you’re thinking too small. Hmm… I guess I can tell you who I really am. You see, the thing is…” – here the timbre of Dio’s voice changed, as if he was making a grand announcement – “I’m a hero. I was sent here from far away to save mankind!”

That… wasn’t what she had expected. That didn’t seem to have anything to do with the Nonary Game, with anything that had just happened. How did a game of nine people save or destroy mankind? Had Dio completely lost it?

Similar thoughts were going through Sigma’s mind. “Uh, Dio, I think you should… maybe calm down a bit,” he said hesitantly, “We’re all excited to be getting out of here, but…”

Dio laughed harshly, his voice made even harsher by the imperfections of the transmission. “Never mind. You’re clearly too small minded to understand.” Dio refused to explain to them anything about what he had said, so the three of them waited in silence for the airlock to finish.

 

The airlock let them out into what could only be described as a desolate wasteland. Dunes of murky sand stretched across the horizon, watched over by the night sky and its blood red moon. Turning around, Phi could see the building they had come out of; it was only the tip of an immense structure that extended deep into a cavernous hole in the ground.

“Looks like a desert,” she commented to Sigma.

Sigma sighed exasperatedly. “I can see that! The question is which desert?!”

That was an interesting question. The only desert Phi had any familiarity with was the Mojave, and this wasn’t anywhere in Nevada. Phi scanned the horizon, looking for any clue as to the location of this wasteland. As she searched, the sheer endless uniformity of the landscape strained her eyes, and she found herself gazing up into the sky at the moon. As she took in the moon’s bright red tint, she realised what it meant.

“I don’t know which desert,” she replied to Sigma, “I can tell you what day it is, though.”

The blood red moon. It could only have been caused by the total lunar eclipse, as described by the magazine that Phi had read in the lounge. That meant the date had to be New Year’s Eve: The 31st of December 2028.

Knowing the date was interesting, but it wouldn’t help them survive. “We should get to the nearest town,” Phi said, once again searching the landscape, “There has to be one around here somewhere. Even deserts have some towns, whether they’re in the Mojave, Sahara, or Gobi…” As she said that, a wriggling worry struck her. The worry that they’d made a big mistake. “That’s not what I’m worried about, though. I’m worried about whether or not there are any survivors.”

Phi heard Sigma gasp. “Are you saying humankind might be extinct?!”

Phi couldn’t answer him.

“What the hell! No way! That’s impossible!” Sigma’s roar reverberated in her ears. “A whole species can’t die out in six days! That’s…”

Phi took a deep breath and managed to speak over Sigma’s frantic yelling. “I hope that’s not the case, of course. But there’s the possibility…”

Sigma was struck into silence and Phi trailed off. After an awkward silence, Phi changed the subject. “Whatever. We should get moving. There’s still four people stuck in there, including Quark. We need to find help and come back for them.”

It was a good plan. Search the area for signs of civilisation, follow them to the nearest town, contact the authorities. It was clearly their best chance to survive and rescue the others. But some subconscious instinct told Phi that there was something important that she had forgotten, that she hadn’t yet accounted for. After quickly looking around she realised: Dio was missing! While Phi and Sigma were talking, maybe even the moment they had exited from the airlock, he had vanished into the desert. As her instincts screamed at her to pay attention to this fact, Phi tried to work out why it was so important and update her plans accordingly. Yes, Dio had been a driving force in the Nonary Game, almost singlehandedly leading them to this conclusion. Yes, it was surprising that Dio had disappeared so quickly, and Phi still wondered what Dio meant by his strange comment about ‘saving mankind’. But could finding out where Dio had vanished to and why really be more important than finding shelter and contacting the outside world? Really, could it?

 

Pain lanced through Phi’s head. As her thoughts and memories tumbled in among themselves, she collapsed onto the sand.

 

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_It's been nearly a year since I started posting Empty Virtue. I'm extraordinarily grateful to the readers and those of you who gave kudos and especially those of you who've commented. It's really heartening to know that people care about the things I write.  
I'm now more or less in the last stretch as far as writing this thing goes. I think I'm about three quarters of the way through, and I'm far beyond the point where's there's any chance of the readers catching up prematurely so I get to write the remaining chapters in the order I want._

_Well, as Whysitsmiling guessed after chapter 22, we've reached_ **Plot Lock 4: Why on Earth would you want to talk to Dio?**   _Given that, we're going to have to go back and redo one of our previous choices. We've got two possible options:_  
_1) Go back to the first Ambidex Game versus Luna (Chapter 19) and ally with her._  
 _2) Go back to the first choice of Chromatic Door (chapter 2) and choose to take Alice through the Cyan Door._  
 _As always, if you have a preference, vote in the comments. We had a tie last time, so every vote counts!_

_I hope you're all still_ _reading this time next year. See you in two week's time!_


	25. Harmonies of Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter follows chapter 19: this time, we ally with Luna in the Ambidex Game

Phi fell forward, her finger stretched towards the console. In the last second of the countdown, her finger stabbed down… and pressed ‘Ally’. Huh. To her considerable surprise, Sigma had managed to convince her after all. Maybe Luna had voted ‘Ally’. She exhaled, all the tension in her body releasing itself, as she collapsed in front of the screen.

“Round one of the Ambidex Game has been completed,” said the announcement voice, “Results will be displayed in the warehouse.”

Phi clumsily hauled herself up from where she had sprawled next to the console. She turned around to see Sigma staring at her with disgust.

“Not cool, Phi. Very not cool,” he said.

Phi realised he hadn’t seen what she had pressed. “No, Sigma! I picked…”

“Leave it,” Sigma interrupted. He turned away from her and left through the opening doors of the AB room.

Phi trudged after him into the warehouse. She saw everyone rushing towards the projected screen, desperate to find out the results. She and Sigma were hardly the only pair who had argued in their AB room: Clover practically fled from K as they left their room, and Quark was almost in tears.

“Wasssuuuuup! Phido! We’re about to announce the results!” Zero shouted to her.

Phi stumbled towards the screen to join the others. She only hoped that proving to Sigma that she had voted ‘Ally’ would bring him round.

With a fanfare, Zero began. “Ambidex Gaaame! Round One!” Giving a mocking bow, his avatar vanished from the screen to be replaced by an orderly table of results:

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

K                                     3                           Betray                       +3                         6  
Clover                             3                                                            +3                         6

Alice                               3                             Ally                          -2                         1

 

Dio                                 3                           Betray                        +3                         6  
Quark                             3                                                             +3                        6

Tenmyouji                      3                             Ally                          -2                          1

 

Sigma                             3                             Ally                          +2                         5  
Phi                                  3                                                            +2                         5

Luna                               3                             Ally                          +2                         5

 

There was an uproar as everyone comprehended the results. Two people were now hovering precariously on one bracelet point, and they turned furiously on their opponents. Alice beckoned Clover sternly through the cyan door. Clover followed promptly but dispiritedly, leaving K behind; though K’s armour masked his facial expressions, Phi could tell from his stiff motions that K was deeply troubled by what he had just done.

Phi could also overhear Tenmyouji as he protested to Dio and Quark. “Quark… What happened?” Tenmyouji asked, his dull eyes gazing at Quark sadly.

Quark, tears running down his cheeks, spluttered desperately. “No, no, I…it wasn’t me! Dio did it! He tricked me.”

Dio scoffed. “You serious? The kid’s full of shit.” As Quark gasped with surprise Dio continued. “I didn’t do squat. Quark was the one who decided how we’d vote. He said you’d be a sucker for whatever he told you.”

Phi listened with distaste to Dio’s obviously fabricated story. He was a monster for trying to deceive Tenmyouji, and an idiotic one at that. It was obvious to everyone that he was lying, and that Tenmyouji would believe Quark over anyone else, not least Dio.

“You’re lying! You’re a lying jerk!” Quark shouted, “Grandpa! You believe me, right?!”

Dio frowned falsely. “Don’t let this brat fool you, old man,” he said, “All this is just part of his plan.”

Quark erupted with anguished rage. “You bastard! I’m not gonna let you get away with this!”

However, before Quark could get any further, Tenmyouji placed his hands firmly on Quark’s shoulders and drew him into a calming embrace. “Don’t lose your temper, Quark. How long have I known you? I could be deaf and blind and still know you’re not lying to me.”

Dio spluttered, trying futilely to maintain his deception. “Hah! You… You’re just as gullible as he said you would be.” Still, it was clear to everyone, including Tenmyouji, that Dio had betrayed in cold blood and tried to pin the blame on the child. It didn’t look likely that anyone would trust Dio again.

Much more amiable was the reaction from Luna. She approached Sigma with a warm smile. “Oh, thank you, Sigma,” she said, “I believed in you!”

Phi could tell from Sigma’s face that he didn’t know how to react. “I… I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it was actually Phi who pressed the button.”

“Thank you, Phi,” Luna said. Then she turned back to Sigma, tilting her head precisely and with a concerned expression. “Are you okay, Sigma? Did something happen in the AB room?”

“I’m not sure,” Sigma replied, “It was really strange, like…”

Phi’s breath caught in her throat. Sigma had implied, in the last minute of the Ambidex Game, that he was starting to suspect Phi of being Zero. If he confided that to the others, Phi was doomed.

“Phi… never mind,” Sigma relented. It seemed that Phi’s choice of ‘Ally’ had, if not dispersed his worries, at least tempered them.

 

It was then that Alice and Clover returned, Clover meekly trailing behind her friend.

“The past is past,” Alice was saying, “There’s no point in me complaining about it. I just have to get those points back in the next AB game.” Alice turned to the screen, where Zero’s rodent-like avatar was waiting for them smugly, and checked her bracelet. “Zero, our bracelets say the next round starts in an hour. How do we get through the next set of doors downstairs?”

Zero giggled. “Maybe you don’t get through those doors. Maybe you have to stay up here, forever, with meeeeee! Won’t that be fun?”

Alice answered confidently, “You called this ‘Round One’. Where there’s a round one, there’s a round two.”

K interjected, “Besides, didn’t you say the goal of the AB Game was to get nine BP? That’s impossible without a second round.”

Zero pouted, his elaborate hat drooping to one side. “You lot are no fun. Yes, there’s a second round. There!” Suddenly Zero perked up. “Yes, you get to vote again, loads more juicy betrayals! Just as soon as you get the AB gates open again.

Clover made a quizzical little squeak. “But… they’re already open!”

Zero mimed slamming his head into his hand. “Whoopsie! Lemme just clooooose them!” On Zero’s cue six pairs of doors whirred closed.

Once all the doors were fully closed an announcement played through the speakers. “Round two of the Ambidex Game will be the Moon round. Moon keys will be required to open the gates.”

“So those Sun keys you have are just compleeeeetely useless now,” Zero concluded, “Weeeell, I guess you could throw them at each other, or use them to pick your teeth, but other than that they’re useless.”

“So, how many times do we play the AB game?” Dio asked.

Zero shrugged. “Dunno? As many times as you need to? I plan on keeping this party going until somebunny opens the Number Nine door. It could be next round! Or you could get stuck below 9 BP, where everybunny just keeps going back and forth, back and forth, winning and losing points… After all, if no one has nine BP the door can’t open… Round three, Round four, Round five… Round 100, Round 2000… you might even go all the way to Round 17,179,869,183: things get really weird if I get that high. I really, really hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Sigma, a curious look on his face, asked Zero a question. “There’s rules about who can go through the Chromatic doors, right? Like, you have to have three people exactly. Are there similar rules for the Number Nine door?”

“Nope! There aren’t any rules about how many people can go through that door. It could be one person, or two people, or even all nine of you.” Zero frowned. “Just one thing, though, Siggy… All that stuff about how you have to have three people to go through the secondary Chromatic doors. Maybe it’s not… 100% true. You just need to have the correct three bracelets. As long as the scanners see the right combination of bracelets… the people don’t matter.”

“So you’re saying these things can come off?” Sigma said.

“Tell me how I take it off!” Quark shouted, pulling at his wrist.

“Well, there’s two ways,” Zero explained, “First is to escape through the Number Nine door. Soon as you do, you’re free to go, none of my business, no more turbocuarine hanging over you. Second… well the second’s far more enjoyable.”

“What’s the second way, Zero?!” Dio yelled, “Tell us already!”

Zero chuckled deeply. “Oh, B.O. I think you already know. Do you really want to get rid of that bracelet? It’s easy. Nothing to it.

“You die.

“Now if we’re lucky, we might see a few of them come off during the next round!” Zero giggled at his thinly veiled threat. “If I had to guess, it’s gonna be Tenmyoldy or Alas…” – Zero grinned maniacally at Tenmyouji and Alice, the two people who had been betrayed in the first round – “or both of them.”

Zero then explained what Phi had already guessed. Anyone whose BP dropped to Zero would be punished just as harshly as if they’d broken the rules. She could see Sigma looking at her strangely, as if he still wondered how she had known.

Alice scolded Zero passionately. “What the hell! This is important stuff! Why didn’t you tell us earlier? You were supposed to tell us the rules, not hide them! Is there anything else you’ve conveniently left out?! It’s not fair to make us play the game without explaining all the rules!”

Zero smirked. “I think it’s fair. It’s not like anyone else knew… right Phido?”

So Zero had been eavesdropping on their conversation in the AB room. Phi conjectured that Zero had noticed Sigma’s fear of her and intended to drive a wedge between the other players. Everyone turned to stare at her. Phi resolved to come clean before it did too much damage.

“I’d guessed. I mean, we already knew about the poison in our bracelets. Heh, what did you expect to happen at zero points, with that mad mouse in charge?” – she gestured at the screen, where Zero bowed mockingly – “So yeah, I guessed that going down to zero BP would kill. Why’d you think I voted ‘Ally’?” Phi said acerbically.

This seemed to mollify everyone – or at least get them wondering why they hadn’t worked it out – though Tenmyouji and Alice still looked grumpy as the two people most affected by the revelation. Phi also noticed Sigma glaring at her; he had been in the AB room and knew that her decision to ally was nowhere near as casual as she had implied.

 

“The next set of Chromatic Doors you’ll be going through are downstairs,” Zero continued to explain, “You already saw them, right? There should have been three: red, blue and green. That means to get through, you’ll need bracelets in cyan, magenta and yellow. But wait! You already have those bracelets!”

Phi looked down at her wrist automatically. Her bracelet had been updated with her new score – ‘5’ – and as Zero had implied the colour of the text had changed: it was now yellow.

Sigma muttered, “Hmm, mine changed from red to cyan.” That was a surprise. Though it was probably for the best, given what had transpired in the AB room and after, she and Sigma were no longer partners. Phi’s bracelet still said she was a pair, so she wondered who her partner was.

It was Dio. Ugh.

“Well, you’re much better than the dead weight I had following me around last time.” Dio smirked at her. “You’ll do much better helping me solve those damn puzzles.”

“Stop it, Dio,” Phi said, “Whatever you’re trying, it’s not going to work. No-one trusts you.”

“You don’t need to trust me. After all, I won’t be voting against you.”

Phi left Dio sulking behind her as she went to see how everyone else’s bracelets had changed:

Sigma’s new partner was Alice; they were the cyan pair.  
Tenmyouji and Quark were the magenta pair.  
Luna was the yellow solo.  
K was the magenta solo.  
Finally, Clover was the cyan solo.

“When did they change?” Quark asked Zero.

“Back when the AB gates closed. As soon as the gates close, your colours get all shuffled up automatically. The pair and solo assignments hop around too,” Zero explained, jumping around the screen to illustrate his statement.

“Now, with all that explained… I must bid you adieu. Sadly…” – Zero’s lip trembled – “we may never meet again. There’s not really anything for me to facilitate anymore. I’ll never see you guys…again!”

There was awkward silence.

Suddenly Zero burst out laughing. “Did you really think I was gonna cry! I hate you losers. Anyway gooood luck. I may be gone, but I’m always watching. Have a nice tragedy!” With that, the mouse disappeared from the screen, never to be seen again.

Good riddance.

 

Quark was the first to speak. “So… what happens now? We’ve still got a while till the Chromatic Doors open.” In fact, they had three quarters of an hour.

Alice took charge. “We should go and see if we can find any other exits,” she commanded, “Maybe there’s a vent or a disposal chute or something. I for one wouldn’t mind examining the other rooms.”

“Let’s split up,” Phi suggested. She estimated how much time they wold need to get down to the Chromatic Doors. “Let’s meet in front of the Chromatic Doors five minutes before they open.”

The group split up. Phi was about to follow them when Sigma grabbed her arm forcefully; they were the only two left in the warehouse.

“We need to talk,” he said. He composed himself. “Lemme be straight with you: your shit is crazy. Hella crazy. I mean… you ‘just know’ stuff you shouldn’t, like my name. You hide what you know from everyone else. You forced your decision on me in the AB room then made the choice that I would have made anyway. You’re crazy.” Phi began to protest, but Sigma cut her off with a gesture. “More and more I’m starting to think you’ve been lying to me, about who you are, why you’re here.

“But I can’t deny that when it came down to it, you did vote ‘Ally’. I don’t think you’re Zero. At least, less than I did. No matter what crazy secrets you’re hiding from me, I guess I can trust you… maybe.

“I… I’ll follow you to look at the rooms soon.” Sigma folded his arms uncomfortably and defensively. “I just… need some time to think, okay?”

“Sure,” Phi replied, “I’ll see you in a bit.” She swivelled around on the ball of her foot and exited through the yellow door, leaving Sigma alone in the warehouse to think.

 

When Phi arrived in the infirmary, K had transferred the old lady’s body from the ADAM to one of the convalescent beds lining the closest wall of the room; he was now erecting a white plastic screen around the bed to provide some privacy. As he finished, Phi approached him.

“Hey, K, you were in here before, right? Is there anything else I can help you look at.”

K turned to greet her. “Hello Phi,” he said, “We searched this room quite thoroughly before, but I would be grateful for your help in searching again. It is possible that your fresh perspective will find something that we missed.”

Phi walked around the screen into the centre of the room. As she did so, she saw Quark sitting on one of the other beds. He was messing about with one of the packets on the side of his helmet, a frustrated frown on his face.

“Hello, Miss Phi!” he called out as her saw her.

“Hey Quark,” Phi replied, “Are you doing okay?”

“Sure!” Quark said, “It’s just that I can’t find any of the stuff I left in my hat.” Quark showed her both sides; they were indeed empty. “I didn’t get a chance to check it until now, and everything’s gone.”

“They took almost everything I had, too,” Phi said. She knelt down beside Quark, carefully tapping the wall with her fingertips to search for hollow sections behind it. “Are you sure you’re okay, though?” Phi asked as she searched, “I mean, after…” Phi glanced past K at where the old lady’s corpse was.

“I’m not a kid anymore!” exclaimed the kid, “I can deal with it. I’m not gonna cry!”

“I concur,” K commented, “Quark has been admirably composed since we arrived.”

“Hmm…” Phi was rather worried by Quark’s reaction. Sure, it was better not to let negative emotions get in the way of what you were doing, but there was no way it was healthy for a child Quark’s age to be trying that; bottling up his feelings like that would just lead to Quark becoming emotionally repressed... well, exactly like Phi was. Phi wasn’t sure she wanted that for Quark.

“Quark, it’s okay to be sad and cry when stuff this bad happens. It means you’re still sane,” she explained.

Quark looked at her, still trying to keep a steady expression. “Grandpa says that too,” he said, a shallow smile gradually forming.

“What exactly is your relationship to Tenmyouji?” K asked, “I was aware that you called him ‘Grandpa’, but you appeared to be less amiable towards him when we first met than you do now.”

Quark laughed. “He’s only my adopted grandpa, but he raised me like a parent. I think he’s better than any mom could possibly be.

“Grandpa’s job is… he’s like an archy… someone who digs up old stuff.”

“Archaeologist,” Phi supplied, “Does he have a whip?”

“No!” Quark answered angrily, “Why would you think he’d use a whip? Of course he doesn’t!”

Phi was dumbfounded. How could Quark not have heard of _Indiana Jones_? Sure, the series had taken a downturn with film number four, and _Indiana Jones and the Collection of Every Historical Artefact he Hasn’t Found Yet_ was basically unwatchable, but he had to have still heard of it.

Before she could explain herself, however, Quark continued talking with an earnest expression. “Grandpa said we should pretend not to know each other, in case somebody would use it against us. I don’t think I could do that for long, though.”

 “When did he say that?” K asked. “You were in separate AB rooms, and I was under the impression that Alice escaped first. I do not think you would be inclined to discuss such a thing in front of Dio.”

“I… I don’t know,” Quark answered, flustered.

“Don’t worry, Quark,” Phi said, to Quark’s apparent relief, “Let’s carry on looking. Quark, can you look under stuff to see if there’s anything us adults missed?”

 

They searched in relative silence, Phi and Quark only talking to show things to K, each of which he dismissed as something he had seen during the puzzle. They were only interrupted by the arrival of Sigma. He nodded to Phi; while things were still awkward between them, they had at least returned to normality.

“How’s it going? You guys find anything?” Sigma said.

The three of them showed Sigma what they had found and K explained how it all was used in the puzzle.

“Well, Alice, Clover and I did go over this room quite thoroughly. I doubt you’ll find any hidden hallways here,” K concluded, “I only came back here because I was concerned about the lady you found. Who would do such a horrible thing?”

Phi recalled Dio’s outburst from the last time they had been in the infirmary. Impolite as Dio had been, his hypothesis was reasonable. “Given what we know so far, you’re the most likely candidate.” K prepared to rebuke the accusation once again, but Phi stopped him. “Hey, don’t get me wrong. I’m just saying the evidence points to you right now. If we find more evidence in the future, that could change.”

Sigma looked around the privacy screen that K had erected, careful not to move it. He spoke thoughtfully, “We were so busy earlier that I never got to ask, but do any of you know who she is?”

No-one did. K’s gauntleted hand scratched his chin in contemplation.

“Well I suppose I might have known her before I lost my memories, but there’s no way to know now, is there?”

“You’d better be telling the truth about this amnesia stuff,” Sigma said.

“Are you suspicious of me too, Sigma?” K raised his hands passively.

“Suspicious? Have you looked in a mirror lately? You might as well have ‘suspicious’ tattooed across your forehead.” Sigma said.

Phi had to agree with him. “If someone ran into you on the street at night, they’d probably pass out from fright.”

“Or maybe even during the day,” Quark completed Phi’s joke.

“I’m so sorry. I apologise for my frightening appearance,” K said, “I’m not sure why, but to me none of this feels particularly strange. The mask and the suit, I mean. In a way it almost feels natural. I don’t feel as if I was forced into it.”

“This might be a pretty obvious question, but is there any way for you to take it off?” Quark asked.

K shook his head sadly. “No. I’ve tried several times, to no avail. I honestly don’t even know where to start. Ah, but there is something I’d like to ask of you. There are parts of the suit I can’t see. Could you have a look, and tell me if perhaps there is a switch or something similar?”

K removed his cape and turned his back to the other three. The thing K wanted them to find was immediately apparent. Just above the neck of the suit was a finely machined socket; currently the mechanism was pointed towards the top of his head but to one side was a label saying ‘OPEN’. It was clearly the lock to K’s suit. Phi attempted to manipulate the lock and rotate it open, but it was too flat and smooth for her fingers to grasp. It seemed to require a special key to use it.

As they described the lock and their failure to open it to K, he perked up, though he still moved slowly to avoid hitting the people behind him. “I see. That’s excellent news,” K said, “We just need to find whatever it is that goes in there, then. I feel somewhat relieved. I was beginning to fear I might have to spend the rest of my life like this.”

“Wait. A minute ago you said it felt natural,” Quark asked.

K looked down at the kid, trying to explain exactly what he meant. “That does not mean I want to stay in it forever. Imagine having glasses, for instance. Wearing them doesn’t feel strange, but you’d hardly want to wear them all the time, forever, would you? That’s what wearing this suit is like.”

The conversation died down, as did the now merely perfunctory search. K looked around the room, his motions sluggish and disinterested. “There doesn’t appear to be anything else to find in this room,” he stated, “Do you think we should move to the next room?”

Sigma stretched his arms out. “I think I’ll be moving along too. I still want to check out the crew quarters.”

“An excellent idea,” K replied, “I will accompany you.”

 

Once Sigma and K had left, Phi flopped herself down on the next bed over from where Quark was sitting, strategically placing herself between the child and the disturbing presence of the dead lady; though Quark stridently claimed he wasn’t bothered Phi still felt a… duty, almost… to shield him. Pursuing that purpose, she tried to distract Quark by reigniting the conversation.

“So what do you do back home?”

“I help Grandpa with his work,” Quark replied.

“Aren’t you a little young for that?” Phi asked.

“I am not a kid!” Quark yelled again. However, he quickly calmed down and continued, “It’s really fun. Grandpa and I get to go and explore all the old ruins and look for stuff! You all think I’m just a child, but I bet that if there is something here to find, I’ll be the one to find it. I’ve gotta lot of practice finding things.”

“Come on then, mister archaeologist!” Phi said jokingly, “What do your finely tuned senses say about this place?”

Quark scratched his head curiously and concentrated hard, but before a minute was up his head sunk back down. “Dunno. Everything about this place isn’t right. There’s just a warehouse, a lounge, a hospital and some bedrooms. It’s not like any other place I’ve been before. There’s not even any toilets!”

Phi considered Quark’s statement. Though she hadn’t yet felt the call of nature, nor did anyone else seem to have been since they had awoken, there was not a single indication, in the rooms she had searched, that there were any toilets. Quark was right: surely a facility this large had to include them. Phi unfolded the map. Though there were no toilets depicted on the map, there were places where the symbols for doors were greyed out, and one such location was in the lounge. Phi realised that any place with that much alcohol served would also require nearby bathrooms; the lounge was therefore the best place to test her theory.

Phi raced out of the infirmary, pausing only to shout “That’s brilliant!” to Quark.

As Phi entered the corridor behind the infirmary she was shocked to find Luna standing there perfectly stationary. Phi waited for Luna to say something but she just stood there, a hauntingly serene expression on her face. The dim lights cast inhuman shadows across her face; Luna appeared completely unconcerned about how she looked. For a moment, Phi thought she saw Luna’s lips move, and heard a slight hint of a high pitched squeal, but then Luna was still again, just as she had been before. As she tried to comprehend what she was seeing, a strange headache exploded in her mind, abating only when Phi turned away. Phi didn’t have time to wait and see what Luna would do; she ran to the left trying to put Luna’s strange behaviour out of her mind. As Luna receded from view, Phi could only think that, though Luna had voted ‘Ally’ during the AB game, her demeanour was as disconcerting as ever.

 

Phi burst into the lounge, surprising Dio and Alice who – it was becoming increasingly clear this was entirely typical of Dio – were in a heated discussion. However, they stopped at Phi’s boisterous approach.

“Hey, partner,” Dio said sleazily, “You went through here, didn’t you. Sigma was here earlier, but I’d bet you’d be able to see more than that senile old fool.” Dio’s blatant and feeble attempt at flattery made Phi feel sick and violated.

Phi was about to mention what Quark had helped her realise when Alice interrupted her. “Actually, before you look around, you should have a look at this.” Alice held her hand out to Phi, showing her that Dio and Alice had been fighting over what looked like a newspaper article. Phi read it curiously.

‘Radical-6 Infection Spreads, Cure Continues to Elude Authorities.

‘The Radical-6 virus continues to spread across the globe like wildfire.

‘The WHO has confirmed that the death toll is estimated to have passed 100,000 victims.

‘Immediate quarantine of any infected patients is strongly advised.’

“What do you make of that?” Alice asked, once Phi had lifted her gaze from the excerpt.

Phi flipped the paper over, but the reverse side was merely matte black. Combine that – the unusually formatted paper – with the fact that she had never heard of this so-called ‘Radical-6’, and there could only be one conclusion.

“This has to be fake,” Phi stated, “Zero could mock up anything he wanted, and leave it for us to find, just to get a jump out of us.”

“Ha! Told you the others would agree with me,” Alice exclaimed at Dio, “Dio seems to think we should believe this piece of rubbish.”

Dio snarled. “You must have looked at yourself in the mirror too many times, let your vanity rot your brains.” He spread his arms out expansively. “There’s a great and terrible virus ravishing the world outside and all you idiots are too self-centred to believe it.”

“Just drop it, Dio” Phi commanded, “I didn’t come in here to get in an argument with you about a scrap of paper. Just get out of my way.”

She pushed past Dio and marched over to the left hand side of the bar. There was what she was looking for: the middle of the wall stood out from the rest of it; it had been sealed over with a welded steel plate shaped like a larger version of the door it was clearly covering. Phi rapped her knuckles rhythmically against the metal. The echoing pure tone that resulted told Phi that she had found exactly what she was looking for. There was a passageway behind the plating: inaccessible at the moment, but worth remembering.

Before she could explain to Alice and Dio, however, Quark ran in.

“Miss Phi, Miss Alice, Mister Dio!” he shouted frantically, “You’ve gotta hurry! Check your bracelets!”

Phi did so. There were only five minutes remaining before the Chromatic Doors opened.

“Quark’s right. Let’s go,” she said.

 

The nine of them reunited at the elevator and rode it down to the atrium of the Chromatic Doors. As the elevator doors let them out and they spread out into the room, the three Chromatic Doors slid open invitingly.

“Chromatic Doors have opened. Five minutes remain until Chromatic Doors close.”

Phi immediately took charge. She had been mulling over the new set of colours in her head and, once again, had calculated the only three possible options:

Option A:  
Phi and Dio went with K through the Red door.  
Sigma and Alice went with Luna through the Green door.  
Quark and Tenmyouji went with Clover through the Blue door.

Option B:  
Phi and Dio went with Clover through the Green door.  
Sigma and Alice went with K through the Blue door.  
Quark and Tenmyouji went with Luna through the Red door.

Option C:  
Phi and Dio went with Luna through the Blue door.  
Sigma and Alice went with Clover through the Red door.  
Tenmyouji and Quark went with K through the Green door.

Before Phi could even take another breath after explaining, Tenmyouji voiced his forceful objections. “I’m not pairing up with K,” he said sternly, “We’d end up playing against each other in the next AB game. Last time, you overruled Clover and betrayed Alice. This time, there isn’t even anyone to restrain you. How am I supposed to know you won’t do the same again?”

“It is unfortunate you feel about me that way,” K stated politely, “To be honest however, I would rather not go with you either. You have only one BP left. I am not willing to risk murdering you, so would be forced to ally. However, I very much doubt you would choose ‘Ally’. The result of our forced choices would place Quark on nine BP. Of all the pairs here, I believe Tenmyouji is the most likely to help his partner out through the Number Nine Door, regardless of the consequences to yourself or the rest of us. It would be a very undesirable situation.”

Phi was subconsciously grateful for the opposition to option C; that would place her with Luna, and she was still somewhat freaked out by Luna’s uncanny behaviour. Unfortunately, Alice spoke up, indirectly contradicting everything said before.

“Sigma and I will be taking Clover. I trust her more than any of you,” she said.

“Yup!” Clover concurred, “I want to go with Alice.”

“That won’t work,” Phi said angrily, “That’s option C, which Tenmyouji and K won’t take.”

Alice scowled and folded her arms across her chest defensively. “I don’t see why Tenmyouji’s preference should be any more important than mine…”

Suddenly everyone was talking, declaring their preferences loudly for everyone who was listening – that is, no-one. There was no chance of a consensus being reached through the cacophony.

The argument was only interrupted by a sickening thud. Phi spun around. Quark had sunk limply to his knees next to Tenmyouji, and was staring vacantly into the wall.

“It’s all over…” he muttered blankly, “We’re all going to die here. We all have to die here… We should just stop playing…”

Luna rushed forwards. “We need to get him to the infirmary!”

Phi placed a hand on Luna’s chest, stopping her firmly. “No. We don’t have time. We have to get through the doors.”

The time limit was pressing on them heavily. Much as Phi was worried about Quark, his collapse had at least silenced the pointless argument. Now Phi had the social momentum. If she chose now, everyone else would follow.

She couldn’t bring herself to consider option C. Luna may be acting more normally while the entire group was together, but Phi couldn’t trust her. The other two options, however, had their merits. K and Clover had voted ‘Betray’ during the first AB game, but her instincts told Phi that their contrition was genuine. Both were strong willed, which would be useful for managing Phi’s unreliable partner.

Her mind made up, Phi raised her voice and announced her choice.

 

**Choice:**

**A) Go through the Red door with K.**  
**B) Go through the Green door with Clover.**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_So, once again, we have a choice. You know the drill!_


	26. Dinner is Served

_After a unanimous vote in the comments, Phi is going through the red door with K._

* * *

“Option A! I’ll take K,” Phi announced, marching towards the red door. At the stern tone of her voice, everyone stopped muttering and turned to face her.

“Excellent,” K acknowledged. He seemed pleased that his wish – that he would not have to face Tenmyouji in the next AB round – had been satisfied.

Once K and Dio had followed her into the space between the red door and its secondary door, the others had no choice. Clover helped Tenmyouji carry Quark to the blue door, while Luna hugged Sigma’s arm as she followed him towards the green door. This round, the decision had been made with time to spare, and the three groups were forced to stand there watching each other awkwardly for what became an agonising amount of time. Eventually the doors closed, separating Phi, Dio and K from the others and giving them no choice to continue on towards the puzzle.

Once the scanners had approved of the three of them and the secondary door opened, Dio impatiently raced down the corridor. Past his sprinting figure, Phi could see a door at the end of the corridor. Dio seemed to think that it would open for him on command; when it did not, Dio ran into the steel door at full speed and bounced off it with a high yelp. He growled at the stubborn door and hammered angrily and futilely at the solid metal plates. Dio’s wild frenzy gave Phi and K the chance to catch up, where they noticed what Dio had missed.

The corridor actually bent round to the left.

Phi decided to walk halfway down the corridor past Dio before alerting him to its presence. “Hey, Dio! Are you planning on catching up anytime soon?”

Dio spun around. When he noticed Phi standing in the middle of the corridor and realised his mistake, he attempted to quickly and surreptitiously dust off his longcoat and pretend as though nothing had happened. When that failed, he tried to ignore Phi’s giggling at him. That also failed.

“Just… Just shut up!” he snapped.

Before Phi could formulate a comeback, K called from the end of the corridor. “Phi, Dio. There is something here that is very interesting. You should come and look at it. There are three doors, but it appears they are all locked.”

Phi and Dio followed K into the hub at the end of the corridor. The doors were as K had described; they each had a lock box similar to that of the Chromatic Doors. In the centre of the room was a lever. It reminded Phi of the lever that would open the Number Nine Door. With the red Chromatic door locked behind them, the door that had thwarted Dio also locked tight, and the three doors of the hub locked as well, there was only one possible course remaining to them.

“We’ve got to pull that lever,” Phi stated.

“Ah.” K knelt next to the lever thoughtfully. “I would prefer to examine it carefully first. It is possible that Zero has prepared some sort of trap or ambush for us…”

“Never mind that, you big wimp,” Dio said, “Allow me.” With a flourish, Dio pulled the lever down. Phi suspected that Dio thought it looked cool. It didn’t.

Once the lever returned to its original position the hub responded. With an inviting whir, the right hand door slid upward.

“That is strange,” K murmured, “I wonder why the other two doors are there, if they don’t open.”

“They probably come into play later,” Phi replied, “For now, we should see what’s behind the door we can open.”

 

Saying that, Phi led K and Dio through the open door. A few steps later and Phi was in front of another door. As she approached, a holographic plaque reading ‘Pantry’ flickered into existence on the centre, before both door and plaque slid upwards revealing the room that contained the next puzzle.

The pantry was approximately rectangular, though it had several irregularly shaped alcoves containing various intriguing machines. To their immediate left was an immense water tank, raised precariously above a carefully maintained dispenser. Beyond that was the exit door and on the left wall beside the exit door was a trolley containing several strangely marked drawers. Phi walked over to the trolley to investigate it, but as she placed her right hand on the most prominent drawer she recoiled, her hand turning red with an ugly shaped burn. Moments after she realised her hand was injured, the pain reached her brain.

“Ahh!” she shouted, clutching her hand to her chest.

“Serves you right.” Dio sneered at her discomfort.

“Oh my. Perhaps it would be preferable for me to handle that in the future,” K suggested, “My armour should protect me from the heat.” K placed his hand against his head thoughtfully as he considered what he had just said. “Actually, maybe that is the reason why I am wearing this suit. I am safe from a lot of problems that would inconvenience the rest of the players.”

“That huge thing, just to let you work in a kitchen?” Dio snorted, “Still, it’s no skin off my back. Do whatever you like.” Dio, having just mocked Phi, wasn’t inclined to expose himself to the same danger.

Phi moved on. Past the trolley was the safe. Phi knew she wouldn’t be able to open it yet so she ignored it in favour of the icebox on the far side. There were handles on each side of the lid, but when Phi tried to open it she failed completely: the lid wouldn’t budge. It was then that Phi noticed a piece of paper sticking out of the gap between the lid and the box. It was trapped by the lid; Phi realised she wouldn’t be able to read it until they worked out how to open the lid.

Stretching out from the wall furthest from the entry door were two parallel shelves full of dull grey, unlabelled boxes. Phi suspected that they would have no part to play in the puzzle because it would be impossible to differentiate between the boxes to see which ones were needed. Sheltered behind the two shelves was a cupboard; K had already carefully squeezed his way in between the shelves to examine it, so Phi moved on.

Finally, the right hand wall was dominated by an immense rack of storage cupboards, organised into four large grids, each labelled with three numbers in bold text across the top. When Phi touched the insulated hatches, she could feel the outer edges of a blizzard-like cold emanating from the storage spaces. It was almost certainly a freezer.

To the right of the freezer was a computer screen. Phi activated it and saw a selection of inputs matching the labelling of the freezer; the computer was clearly used to extract things – presumably food – from the freezer. Phi tested it, tapping ‘1 2 3’, ‘D’, and then ‘8’. Though the freezer responded, with a hatch on the far left opening and presenting a compact plastic container, the screen still flashed red and displayed the word ‘Incorrect’. Phi wondered what she was supposed to do with the freezer to solve the puzzles, but since she had no idea she decided to first examine the container the freezer had provided.

The label declared it to be a box of chicken paella and also had instructions for preparing the food inside: ‘Place inside the heater for five minutes. Leave to cool before serving.’ There was no harm in trying it. Wrapping her shirt around her hand to protect herself from the heat, Phi opened the hot drawer of the trolley and placed the paella inside. Now she just had to wait for it to cook.

While Phi waited, she looked around the room. As she did so, she noticed something that she had missed in her eagerness to experiment with the freezer. Next to the computer screen there was a poster. Remembering the poster that had helped her and Sigma in the first puzzle, she ripped it off the wall. Hopefully it would be a useful hint to solving this puzzle.

 

The three of them reunited in front of the trolley and pooled the items they had found. K had found a beaker of universal pH indicator and two binders full of nutritional data. Dio – who apparently had not bothered moving from right next to the trolley at all – presented an empty glass and a part of a mechanism. Finally, Phi showed them the poster. On the front was a calendar. Now that she had examined it properly she perceived that the layout of the calendar was identical to that of the freezer. She realised that they could convert dates into inputs for the freezer.

Just as soon as she had finished explaining this realisation, K pointed at the back of the poster. “How would you interpret this?” he asked.

Phi turned the poster. “‘The day the man was abducted’?” she murmured, “Well, it can’t refer to me.”

“I wish I could help,” K also said, “but I cannot remember the day I was abducted.”

“Pah!” Dio gasped, “I guess that means I have to be ‘the man’, then. What does the 20th of December work out as?”

Phi told him. Dio swaggered over to the freezer’s computer and entered the code. Once again the screen flashed red, even as the freezer dispensed another box of food.

“Ugh!” Dio snarled, “That was pointless. Zero’s just teasing us again.”

Phi ignored his ranting and examined the new container. This time it contained twice-cooked pork. Phi figured she’d try it once the paella was ready.

Actually, it probably was ready by then. Once again taking care not to burn herself, Phi extracted the container from the hot drawer. As she peeled away the lid and the sauce inside began to seek a way out, Phi had a horrible thought. What if Zero had poisoned the food? Phi had to test the food before she ate it herself.

“Hey, Dio!” she called out.

In response, Dio returned from where he stood next to the freezer. “Wha…?”

Phi struck. Holding the plastic fork provided, she span around and lunged, thrusting the fork straight towards Dio’s gaping mouth. Before he could react, his mouth had already closed around the first spoonful of paella.

“Gah! That’s hot!”

Whoops. Phi had forgotten to let the meal cool before serving.

Still, it didn’t look as if Dio had been poisoned. The paella was probably safe to eat. Phi blew gently on a second forkful to disperse the excess heat and then tipped its contents into her mouth.

It was heavenly.

Phi hadn’t realised how starving she was. She must have been unconscious for hours. The paella was probably just processed rubbish, but her body craved it ravenously and made it taste amazing. She shovelled in mouthful after mouthful, gulping each one down eager to make room for the next. Each piece of chicken that was exposed was instantly speared by the fork and brought to her mouth to be torn apart fiercely by her teeth. Phi was aware that the noises of appreciation she was making – “Ummmm!” “Aaaaah!” “Slurrrp!” – were somewhat embarrassing, but she didn’t care. She had to finish off the paella, she had to eat the twice cooked pork afterwards, and she had to eat whatever else the freezer could provide.

“Are you quite done?”

Phi looked up, fork suspended just before her lips, to see Dio scowling at her.

“While you were pigging yourself, K and I solved part of the puzzle,” Dio said.

“We were looking for other dates to translate into freezer compartment locations,” K explained, “I found these notes…” K pointed over his shoulder, where Dio was ‘helpfully’ affixing five post-it notes to the back of K’s armour. “…with numbers on them. Reading the numbers as dates, and entering the corresponding codes into the computer, each of which the computer declared to be ‘Accepted’, caused the freezer to provide us with these.” K showed Phi five blocks, each the size and shape of the containers of food. Unlike the paella and the twice cooked pork, unfortunately, they did not contain irresistibly delicious food. In fact, they contained nothing at all; they were just solid wooden blocks with the words ‘Meat’, ‘Fish’, ‘Salad’, ‘Pasta’, and ‘Soup’, written on them in scribbly handwriting.

Phi sighed, looking wistfully at the remains of the meal in its container on her lap. “Looks like getting it wrong gets you a better reward than getting the right dates. Screw you, Zero…”

“Anyway,” K continued, “These blocks match the ones already in the trolley. There was a row missing; returning these should advance the puzzle.”

 

Once K had done so, Phi looked at the bottom of the trolley.

“While we’re replacing things on the trolley, don’t those look like empty water tanks to you.” Phi lugged the four tanks over to the water fountain and read the labels on each. One said ‘Acidic Water’, one said ‘Neutral Water’, and the remaining two said ‘Basic Water’.

“‘Basic Water’!” Dio exclaimed, “What? Does that mean the water’s like, stupid or something?”

K sighed. “I believe that in this context, ‘Basic’ is a synonym for ‘Alkaline’: that is, fluid containing an abundance of hydroxide ions, acting in opposition to acids.” K retrieved one of the binders he’d found. “See? According to this, this facility uses water at three different levels of pH. Alkaline water at pH nine is used in the production of high intensity cleaning products. Neutral water at pH seven is used for drinking as well as most other normal uses. Finally, acidic water at pH four is used in the production of… fertilisers, apparently, though I have no idea where a warehouse such as this would use them… as well as in the manufacture of beauty products.”

“Seems like this pantry is trying to make this place entirely self-sufficient,” Phi replied morosely.

“Indeed. While Alice and I were searching the infirmary earlier, after we found the newspaper article about Radical-6, I suggested to her that this facility may have been designed or repurposed as a quarantine facility or shelter. She did not believe me. I shall have to mention this room to her when we reunite.”

“Does any of this have anything to do with actually getting us out of here?!” Dio grumbled.

“Perhaps not,” K replied, “But it is worth thinking about, regardless.”

Phi examined the control panel of the water dispenser. The buttons displayed numbers running from minus three to three. “I bet these buttons set the pH…”

“That cannot be right!” K exclaimed, “The pH scale runs from one to fourteen.”

Dio shoved the pair of them aside and advanced on the water fountain holding the empty beaker in his right hand and the indicator in his left. “Isn’t it obvious? We just have to work out what the pH is when the button says ‘zero’ and work out what to do from there. He nonchalantly held the empty beaker under the tap and filled it with water, then poured in the universal pH indicator in after: it quickly turned a sickly green colour. “See! This is slightly more acidic than neutral: pH… six.”

Phi and K just stared at him in amazement.

“What?!” Dio spluttered, “I actually paid attention in high school chemistry.”

 

Soon all four tanks were full of the appropriate water and returned to the trolley. With the trolley now completely full, Phi expected the computer screen on the top right to activate, but it remained obstinately black.

K noticed the focus of her attention. “There appears to be a card reader below the screen. Perhaps we need to find the appropriate card to activate it and solve the puzzle. Have either of you noticed anything like that?”

Neither Phi nor Dio had. With their progress in the puzzle stalled, Phi was distracted by the inviting and as-yet-uncooked container of twice cooked pork. The gloriously full feeling in her stomach from the paella was starting to fade, and she craved more food. Phi opened up the heater drawer once more, thinking only of the succulent meal it would soon prepare.

“Wait!” K stopped her, “I see something inside the drawer.”

K stuck his gauntlet inside the furious heat and retrieved a small metal device. The moment K’s hand was clear of the drawer, Phi inserted the container of twice cooked pork and closed the heater.

K examined the mechanism. After a long time in deep concentration, he reached for the other part of a mechanism that had been left next to the safe. The two fitted together perfectly. K slotted the completed mechanism into a hole on the ice box and pressed the button that formed the top of the device.

“We should be able to open the box now,” he announced, walking around to the other side of the ice box and grasping the lid’s handles.

Phi looked at the piece of paper that was trapped between the lid and the ice box. As K began to lift the lid the paper slid out. Phi grabbed it. Now that it was free, Phi could read the title emblazoned across the top in large bold red text.

‘Warning: Do not move ice box lid until you have read these instructions.’

“Stop!” Phi yelled frantically.

She was just in time. K had barely raised the lid; he lowered it gently to rest.

Once Phi was sure the lid was down safely, she read the rest of the instructions. “‘Hee, hee, hee! The ice box you are trying to hop-en is empty. Your goal is actually burrowed inside the icebox lid. It’s inside an ice cube! If you wanna get it, you’re gonna have to get it to hop down into the box through the hole. Now, how do you do that? Well, this ice box lid can actually be opened in all four directions. Isn’t that amazing? That means that you can actually slide the ice cubes around inside. But you can’t just do it forever. No, no, no! Eventually the ice cubes are gonna stick and then they won’t move anymore. The first cube will stick after three moves, the second and third will stick four moves after leaving the storage bit. And the last cube, the one that contains the card you need? Well you’ll just have to hope that it stays slippery long enough to get it out, won’t you?! Otherwise… you’ll be stuck in there… foreveeeeeeeeer! Have a nice trouble!’

“I hate that mouse,” Phi commented, shuddering as she read Zero Jr.’s words, “Still, we need to be careful here. Plan our moves.”

The usual trick for solving ice-sliding puzzles was to work back from the exit, finding walls that the ice blocks could be rested against before changing direction. That wasn’t possible this time. There weren’t any suitable walls in line with the hole. Phi realised that this was why Zero had placed so much emphasis on the fact that the ice cubes would eventually freeze in place. If they could direct the penultimate cube so it stopped in the right place, it would act as the wall they needed to get the cube out. Phi worked out the way to get a cube into that perfect location, using the other two cubes as a sort of ladder. Once she was sure that her method worked, she began.

“K, tilt it that way,” she instructed with a gesture.

Soon the final ice cube, containing the desired keycard, tumbled out of the lid and into the ice box with a satisfying clunk. K opened the lid one last time and retrieved the cube; though the card was embedded solidly in the ice, a few seconds in the heater freed it easily. They now had everything they needed, and there was only one thing left to do.

 

Once the keycard had been swiped, the trolley’s computer lit up. It started and ran some sort of audit protocol:

‘Water supply: all tanks present, full and at correct pH.’

‘Food supply: all rations present. Ration allocation suboptimal. To continue, please allocate rations correctly. Refer to Nutrition File 73-C.’

“I believe it is referring to this.” K held out the binder of nutritional information he had found. “It describes five crewmembers and suggests the ideal amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat to provide each person. It also details how much nutrition is provided by each of the five kinds of ration.”

“Nutrition? But they’re just blocks of wood…” Phi grumbled. She was still annoyed that the ‘correct’ solution to the freezer puzzle hadn’t provided any more real food. Still, it was an intriguing puzzle. They would have to interpret and integrate information from several different sources. Then she would have to carefully work out the allocation of the rations to match the specifications. It was an elegant and difficult puzzle, one worthy of being the final puzzle of the room.

Naturally, Dio solved it by flailing about with trial and error while she was still thinking about it.

Once all the ration boxes were in the right places, the computer screen lit green, displaying a safe password. Belatedly, Phi realised that she wasn’t with Sigma this time; she wouldn’t be able to rely on his eidetic memory. She tried to remember the code herself. It had a star in the top left corner, as well as two suns in the second row. Phi traced their locations in the air with her fingers as an aid to remembering. Once she was sure she had remembered, she turned to the safe and typed in the code.

The safe doors sprang open. The moment Dio heard the safe open, he muscled past Phi, grabbed one of the AB room keycards and the exit door key, and ran for the exit with an excited whoop. Once the door was open, he sprinted away.

Phi recovered herself and looked at the other contents of the safe. She passed the other keycard to K and picked up the sole remaining item herself. It was another map, this time showing the second floor: ‘Floor B’. Phi could see that the rooms on this floor were arranged into four groups, corresponding to the three Chromatic Doors, red, green and blue, as well as another large room – presumably another warehouse – and other rooms behind it that couldn’t be accessed until one of the puzzles was solved. The exit door and the corridor that Dio had run away down led back to the Chromatic doors and the elevator back to the AB rooms; they would emerge through the locked door that had frustrated Dio earlier, and the map indicated that this door could only be unlocked from this side.

“Let’s go,” she said to K.

Phi strolled towards the exit door. Just as she was about to leave, K grabbed her on the shoulder.

“Don’t leave yet, Phi. We need to talk.”

 

“Also, your twice cooked pork is burning.”

“Nooooooooo!”

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_You'll notice (wink, wink) that Phi enters the pantry twice and never enters the laboratory. The reason for this is simple: Axelavir. As long as the Axelavir remains in the laboratory safe, it is easy to track when the laboratory is opened. The search for Axelavir in the Yellow-Betray route is to crucial to the plot, splitting up the characters and allowing the route ending. Therefore, Phi didn't enter the laboratory on that route. Of course, Phi's interaction with K in the pantry couldn't be changed either._


	27. Proposition K

Phi nonchalantly tossed away the now-empty container of nasi goreng onto the steadily increasing pile of rubbish in the corner of the pantry – if Zero was going to kidnap them and force them to play this deadly game, the least he could do was to pick up their trash for them – and waited for K to explain why he had stopped her. He had said that they needed to talk, but he hadn’t started talking yet.

“Well?” Phi asked curtly after a few moments of awkward silence. When K still failed to respond, Phi grabbed the next food container – an artfully arranged pasta salad, which had only required a short amount of time in the heater to defrost it – tore off the lid and ravenously wolfed down the contents. As a result, she almost didn’t notice when K started speaking.

“Ah, I apologise. You appeared to be enjoying yourself quite considerably, and I had intended not to distract you from it. Unfortunately, it seems I have done so anyway. Once again, my apologies.”

“Fine,” Phi said, “Now, say again why we’re not heading back up to the warehouse already.”

“You mean, apart from the food here?” K gestured and Phi’s pile of emptied containers, just in time for the salad box to join them.

“Yeah.”

K sighed. The voice amplifiers and distorters in his helmet caused it to come out as a deep but warm rumble. “Phi, you must have realised the implications of the next round of the Nonary Game. Both Dio and I are on six bracelet points. That means either of us might escape if we successfully betray the other.”

“I’d noticed,” Phi replied neutrally.

“Indeed. The simplest solution would be for both of us to vote ‘Betray’. But that’s not a result I can, ah… find acceptable. If we can ally with each other, we can all get closer to escaping. In fact, since we would all be within two points of escaping, there would be no incentive for any of us to betray anymore.”

“Sure,” Phi replied, “But there’s no way Dio’s going to vote ‘Ally’. You saw how he was after betraying Tenmyouji: how he treated Quark as well.”

K nodded. “And that is why I believe we needed to talk. The only way I’ll be able to safely choose ‘Ally’ is if you are able to give me some guarantee that you and Dio will do the same.”

Phi pondered K’s request. It was an important, if easily squandered, opportunity to increase her score. “It’ll be tricky. I’m not going to get into a physical fight with Dio in the AB Room just to vote ‘Ally’. He would probably overpower me, anyway.”

“I understand,” K said, bowing his head, “Please, think about it. If you come up with any ideas, it would be a great relief to hear them. Shall we head back up?”

 

The two of them headed back towards the elevator, following the direction given by the map until they emerged through the one-way door that had frustrated Dio on their way to the pantry. From there, it was easy to find their way back to the red door and into the waiting area for the elevator.

Once they were in the elevator and heading back up, an announcement played through the speakers. “An Ambidex Gate has opened. Forty five minutes remain until Ambidex polling closes.” It seemed that Dio had arrived at the warehouse and opened one of the rooms with the card he had taken.

Once the elevator reached the top of the shaft, Phi and K rushed back to the warehouse. They arrived to find Dio leaning against the doorframe of the opened Ambidex Gate, with a snide grin on his face and the moon keycard twirling between his fingers.

“What the hell, Dio?!” Phi exclaimed, “We’re not all back, yet!”

Dio shrugged. “You losers can waste time nattering as much as you want, but don’t expect me to wait for you.”

K and Phi exchanged glances. If it was this difficult to get Dio to co-operate by not opening the doors, there was no chance of convincing him to vote ‘Ally’.

Just as Phi and K had, Sigma and Alice burst in through the magenta door with furious expressions on their faces, trailed closely by Luna. Phi noticed that Luna didn’t seem anywhere near as angry with the situation as everyone else was; Phi wondered why, given how appropriate anger at Dio – both for this and just in general – Luna’s expression hadn’t changed at all.

“What the hell, guys?!” Sigma roared.

“Why did you open the AB Gate before everyone got back?!” Alice also demanded an explanation.

“I apologise,” K said, “Dio opened it. We only let him out of our sight for a moment.”

“Hmph. You got a problem with that?” Dio attempted to defend himself once more. “I don’t remember us all promising we wouldn’t open the thing until everyone showed up.”

“This isn’t about promises!” Sigma shouted, “Are you stupid, or just an asshole?”

Alice joined in. “Probably both. We were able to get back in time, but what about the others? Tenmyouji, Quark and Clover are still out there somewhere! What were you planning to do if they didn’t get back in time?”

“Heh. Nothing,” Dio answered, “Why would I have to do anything? Anybody who doesn’t get back in time just gets their vote automatically set to ‘Ally’. Seems pretty straightforward to me. So what if they don’t get back in time? They’ll all ally, and all three of ’em will get two BP. Sounds like a sweet deal to me. Tenmyouji’s only got one BP; I figure he’ll be happy to get two more. And it’ll put Quark and Clover up close to nine, so it’s not too bad for them either. In other words, they oughta be thanking me.”

Sigma shook his head. “Didn’t you guys find a note with some more rules on it?” Sigma held out a small sheet of paper. “We found it in our safe. Read it.”

Dio snatched the scrap of paper away from Sigma and read it dismissively. “‘Hare are some more AB Game rules for you! Not voting is not an hoption. If both parties refuse to vote, then everybunny gets penalised!’ What the hell man. This wasn’t in our room. Back me up here, guys.”

“That’s right,” Phi said, “Not that you’d know. You ran away back here before you possibly could have read anything in our safe. Still, those rules weren’t in our safe.”

Dio gestured casually. “Well, damn. That’s a bummer. I’d _never_ have opened the AB Room if I’d known about this…” When he noticed everyone’s disbelieving glares, he exclaimed, “Of course I wouldn’t have!”

It seemed they wouldn’t get any sort of apology or contrition out of Dio. Luna sighed, a concerned frown on her face. “I’m worried about the others. If time runs out…” Luna trailed off, seemingly unable to complete that sentence.

“They’ll be penalised, yes,” K finished it for her.

As the players wondered why the remaining team was so late returning, a horrible thought struck Phi. The remaining group, the group they were waiting for, included Quark. Phi recalled how disturbingly Quark had acted before they had entered the Chromatic Doors. Had something happened to him? Had something horrible happened to him, to delay the final team?

The players present in the warehouse waited silently for Tenmyouji, Clover and Quark to return. They had been waiting for only a few minutes when Sigma nudged Phi with his elbow and spoke in a low but urgent whisper. “Wait a minute… where’s Alice?” he asked, “She was here just a minute ago.”

Fortunately, despite Sigma’s worried tone, they spotted Alice almost immediately. She was concealed, though only partially, at the far end of the row of AB Rooms. Alice knelt down, intensely inspecting whatever it was she had found behind the AB Room. Her curiosity piqued, Phi started forward to join Alice.

However, before Phi could see what Alice was looking at, Tenmyouji and Clover – those two only – burst in through the cyan door. Tenmyouji in particular looked deathly pale. But it was Tenmyouji’s frantic yell that confirmed Phi’s fears. “Quark! Has Quark been here?”

“Did something happen to him?” Phi asked, trying to keep her voice from trembling.

“He disappeared!” Clover shouted, “He’s gone! We can’t find him anywhere!” Apparently Quark had followed them as far as the lounge, but when the door between the lounge and the corridor to the elevator had closed, Quark was on the far side of it. Tenmyouji and Clover had called after the kid, but he had vanished.

 

“All right. We need to split up,” Phi instructed. There had to be some chance that they could save Quark if they found him quickly enough. “If we can’t find him in any of the floor A rooms, we’ll move to floor B.”

Phi and Sigma started by heading towards the cyan door and searching the crew quarters. Phi stayed in the corridor, standing guard to make sure Quark didn’t slip past them, while Sigma rummaged through each cabin in turn.

Quark wasn’t there.

Having finished searching the crew quarters, they raced along the corridor towards the elevator, relying on the other players to search the lounge and infirmary. They didn’t meet any of the others on the way there, so the two of them took the elevator down by themselves and arrived at the room with the three primary-coloured Chromatic Doors.

“You went through the red door with Dio and K, right?” Sigma asked, “What was on the other side of that door?”

“You want to see it?” Phi asked. She realised that, with only two opened routes to the pantry, it was possible for the two of them to approach the pantry by taking one route each, preventing Quark from running away again if he was there. Phi led Sigma through the red door and then pointed him down the path she wanted him to take, towards the entrance of the pantry, while she went down the path towards the exit.

They reunited in the pantry, neither of them having found Quark. Phi led Sigma round the pantry, showing him the water tank, the heater, the icebox, the cabinets and finally the ceiling-to-floor freezer.

“Those drawers over there are stuffed with food,” Phi explained, “Wasn’t half bad, actually.”

“You ate it?!” Sigma asked incredulously.

“Yeah. There was… let’s see…” Phi looked over to the corner of the room, where her pile of empty food containers still rested, to reminder herself. “Some paella, nasi goreng, schnitzel, yukgaejang, borscht and tom kha gai. Oh, and I ate the chef’s pasta too…” Phi trailed off, quelling a niggling feeling that she was missing something.

“That’s a lot of food.”

“Can’t help it. I’m a growing girl,” Phi said with a cheeky grin.

“Wait, how old are you?” Sigma asked.

He’d hit a sore spot. Both of her parents had died when she was very young – she had only her mother’s broach to remind herself that they had ever even existed – which was why she didn’t know her own birthdate, and could only celebrate the date that she had been taken in. It had been almost normal, for a time. But her foster parents had been old, and had died as well. Others... took over. That was when Phi had realised that she needed to escape that place.

Being reminded of the vulnerability and uncertainty that had marked that period of her life, even if Sigma hadn’t done it on purpose, was… unpleasant. She’d had to learn fast to survive, and that made for some very painful memories – such as her first time in a building other than her first home at about sixteen, when she had been beaten up by casino security for stealing food from the back of the restaurant – which Sigma had unwittingly brought to the forefront of her mind. Always, both before and after she had escaped, she had been a stranger. Still, Phi steeled her expression and forced herself to answer Sigma’s question as best she could. “I’m twenty, I think.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa…” Sigma spluttered, “I don’t even know where to start here. One: by the time you hit twenty, you’re done growing. Two: ‘You think’? You should be old enough to know how old you are. Three: How on Earth are you _twenty_? You look like you’re thirteen if you’re a day. I can’t believe you’re only two years younger than me…”

Phi looked at Sigma’s wrinkled face, and the metal surface of his artificial eye, and giggled. The cloud of brooding thoughts dispersed. Phi forgave Sigma for bringing her past up; he’d managed, by deadpanly saying something so hilariously untrue, to completely dispel Phi’s mood. “Now that’s funny. You must’ve done a lot of drugs to look like that at twenty-two,” she joked back.

“Gimme a break, you little punk.”

“Don’t call me little!” Phi shouted with a mock-whine, “I’m a fully-fledged adult.”

With the joking around over, Sigma once more looked around the pantry. “So this place has enough food to keep people alive for a few years, huh? Looks like this stuff isn’t going to expire anytime soon.”

“Yeah, the use by date is about a hundred years from now,” Phi replied, “And there’s enough water too. It looks like they’re pulling it out of some kind of well.”

“Is it safe?” Sigma asked.

“Well, since Dio isn’t rolling around on the floor in agonising pain, I’m going to go ahead and assume it’s okay.”

“You made him drink it to make sure it was safe?”

Phi nodded. “I guess you could say that. I was careful with the food too. I force-fed some of it to Dio, and it seemed fine so…” Suddenly, Phi realised exactly what it was that she had forgotten. She’d forgotten to mention to Sigma one of the meals she’d eaten earlier. There was no way she could leave the list of food incomplete. “Oh! I almost forgot! I ate something else. Twice-cooked pork!”

Sigma sighed. “For God’s sake! I thought you were about to mention something vital. How the hell could you even forget something like that?”

“Well… it reminded me of Dio, so I guess my subconscious didn’t want to think about it.”

“Twice-cooked pork… Dio…” Sigma mused, “Yeah, I guess I can see that… Wait a minute, twice-cooked pork? That… reminded me of something, too… This might seem hard to believe at first…”

Phi interrupted him jokingly, “Bullshit.”

“Come on, at least let me tell you first. In the room I, Alice and Luna searched, there was this robot…” Sigma described how a robot – called a gaulem – with a cockney accent had stopped his group just before they left their room. It’d prattled on about various things related to both cockneys and robots, the most notable subject being a thought experiment known as the Chinese Room, which described how a system could be created out of parts, none of which understood Chinese – an English speaker, a Chinese phrasebook, a set of instructions for manipulating Chinese characters and so on – so that the entire system could convince an unsuspecting Chinese person that they were speaking to a fluent Chinese speaker. It was an analogy for how an AI, like the robot in question, could be constructed just from various pieces of simple electronic equipment. Sigma had waited for the gaulem to continue explaining, but just as it said the words, ‘See, right in the middle of…’ the robot had been viciously and swiftly deactivated, presumably by Zero Jr.

Phi pondered what the robot had said, and came to a rather paranoid conclusion. “‘Right in the middle of…’ Maybe he was trying to say that this game is like the Chinese Room. Maybe he was trying to say…”

 

Before Phi could finish, Luna burst in, interrupting her. “Sigma! Phi! There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!”

“What’s going on?” Sigma asked her.

“Something bad! Something really bad! Alice… Alice is… Just come with me!”

Luna led them back to the elevator and back to the upper floor. She walked briskly down the corridor towards the crew quarters and directed Phi towards cabin two. Phi opened up the door and peered inside.

Alice, dead. Her body was slumped against the far wall of the room. A knife was embedded in her chest, straight through her heart. Her bracelet was off, lying inert by her wrist.

The other players – except, of course, for Quark – were already there. Sigma asked the first question that needed to be asked. “Who found her first?”

“Me,” Dio answered, “I was looking for Quark on floor B but couldn’t find him, so I came back here, and… Well, you know the rest.” When everyone glared at him Dio adjusted his top hat defensively. “Hey, what’s that look supposed to mean? You better not be thinking I did it.”

“Well, suspicion often falls on the first to discover a crime,” K suggested.

“Fuck that!” Dio yelled, “She’d already been murdered when I got here!”

“How do you know she was murdered?” Phi asked.

“What? C’mon, it’s obvious. She’s got a knife sticking out of her chest. Does that look like an accident or a suicide to you?” It really didn’t. The knife was embedded deeply in Alice’s heart; it had to have been thrust into her chest with great, purposeful force. There was no way it was an accident. Dio continued, “It’s not fair to suspect someone just because they happened to be the first one to find the body! If you wanna be like that, then the last person to see Alice is the person you should be looking at! Isn’t that right, Clover?”

Clover barely responded to Dio’s accusation. Her face deathly pale, she was transfixed by the sight of Alice’s dead body. “Alice… why?” she murmured, “This wasn’t supposed to happen. You promised me we’d catch them together. Don’t do this. I can’t trust them anymore. It could have been any one of them. They killed you, Alice. I can’t forgive them for that. I’m going to get revenge. I’ll find out who killed you, and I’ll…”

Before any of the others could stop her, Clover turned and fled from the room. With a cry of “Wait, Clover! Come back!” Tenmyouji chased after her, also disappearing into the corridor between the cabins of the crew quarters.

As he watched them leave, K shook his head. “It’s pointless. Even if we caught up to her, she’d never tell us anything. Think it through. There are two possibilities. Either Clover killed Alice, or she didn’t. If the former is true, then I doubt she would confess. If the latter is true, then I imagine she’d be just as reticent. After all, Alice and Clover seemed to know each other. In fact, they seemed quite close. It is safe to assume that Clover is currently very suspicious of all of us. I doubt she would open up to anyone right now.”

Dio glanced suspiciously at K. “You seem pretty calm. Did you do it?”

K sighed. “Not again… Well, if you really want to suspect me, please, go ahead. I’m beginning to feel rather accustomed to it. I would, however, ask you to consider my motive for killing Alice: specifically, the fact that I have none.”

“Well, yes,” Luna said, “but none of us do. None of us have ever met Alice before, right? So why would we want to kill her?”

“You are correct,” K replied, “But only if the murder had a motive beyond, well, murder.”

“What do you mean?” Sigma asked.

“Do you remember when we found the old woman? It seemed clear that her killer was Zero Sr., and that they were one of us. There is every reason to think that the same person murdered Alice. Perhaps this person plans to kill us one by one. Perhaps the entire Nonary Game is just window dressing. Perhaps the only reason we are here is so that Zero Sr. can kill us at his leisure, in a world of his own creation.

“Wh-Why would anyone do such a horrible thing?” Luna exclaimed.

“Presumably, because they enjoy killing,” K replied morosely, “Zero Sr. seems to be rather disturbed.

“Hold on a minute,” Sigma said. We don’t yet know the murderer was one of us. There could be a tenth person hiding out somewhere…”

“No,” Phi interrupted, “There’s no way Zero Jr. wouldn’t notice that. And if he did notice? I really don’t think he’d let something like that slide. Do you really think he’d just let a tenth, unwanted participant just run around murdering people?”

“Well, what if the tenth person is Zero Sr.?” Sigma asked.

“Not possible,” K said, “At least not so long as we assume Zero Jr.’s statement on the matter to be the truth.”

He was right. The killer had to be one of the players. Phi wondered who could have possibly murdered Alice. She could give Sigma an alibi, but any one of the other players might be the person who murdered Alice. If the rest of them were going to be safe, especially if they needed to split up once more to carry on searching for Quark, then they needed to discover the murderer’s identity.

 

Before they could deliberate further, however, they were interrupted by another announcement. “Ten minutes remain until Ambidex Game polling closes.”

“Apparently Zero doesn’t think this is worth stopping the game for,” K commented, “A blunt but effective way to make the point. We should get back to the warehouse. It seems clear he feels no compunctions about killing us, should we disobey the rules. As such, I recommend we follow them.”

They left the crew quarters and returned to the warehouse. Tenmyouji and Dio had already entered their AB Rooms, but the other four were still waiting for players. K met Phi’s glance. She recalled what he had suggested back when they had just finished the pantry puzzle. Some guarantee: that was all K needed from her to vote ‘Ally’.

“Phi, how do you and Dio plan to vote?” he asked.

Dio chuckled. “You even gotta ask? ‘Ally’. Of course.”

That… wasn’t much of a guarantee. K realised that as much as Phi had. “You’re planning on betraying me, aren’t you, Dio? As soon as you two go through that door, it will only be the two of you in that room. I’ve no doubt you could overpower Phi, if you had the desire to.”

“Give me a little credit!” Dio shouted, “No-one has more gentle-points than me. You think someone of my stature would resort to violence?! The nerve!”

Before Phi or K could respond, Luna piped in. “Um… This is just a thought, but… Why don’t all of you promise to choose ‘Betray’? Then you won’t have to worry about anything. If you knew the other person was going to betray you, you’d have no choice by to do the same.”

That was a strange, almost completely out-of-character suggestion from Luna. “That seems pretty… negative for you, Luna,” Phi commented, as she pondered exactly how Luna had come up with that idea.

The moment Luna saw Phi staring at her, she recoiled. “I-I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to apologise for. We appreciate your suggestion, and we’ll take it into consideration,” Phi said blandly. Luna was acting very strangely again, and it made Phi nervous. “Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s a very good idea. See, my goal is to beat this game.” When Phi saw everyone staring at her in alarm, she corrected herself, “Maybe that wasn’t the best way to put it. When I say I want to beat it, I mean defeat it, completely. I want to get us all out of here. We haven’t beaten the Nonary Game until we’re all out of this place. I guess we won’t _all_ be getting out anymore, though… At any rate, all of us choosing ‘Betray’ every time is hardly ideal. We’d never escape.”

“Then what are you going to do?” Sigma asked.

Phi thought about the best way to answer that question. “Hmm. K needs to choose ‘Ally’. It’s the only way.”

“How will you make sure I do that? I have no guarantee yet that you’ll choose ‘Ally’ as well.”

Phi thought. There had to be some way to get K the guarantee he wanted. Then she saw it: the only way to demonstrate her intention to vote ‘Ally’ to K.

“K, do you promise, you would do it if I could give you that guarantee?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” Phi waited for one moment, then turned to Dio. “Hey, Dio…” she said softly.

“Huh?”

The moment all Dio’s attention was on her, she struck. She contorted her face in shock and, with a much urgency in her tone as possible, yelled, “Oh God! Behind you!”

Dio froze, caught between his reflex to turn around and his realisation of what Phi had done. Phi didn’t stop to check; she sprinted towards the closest open AB Gate. The moment she reached the console inside, she slammed the button to close the doors. For the second that it took for the doors to slam shut, she waited tensely, expecting Dio to suddenly appear and force his way in, but eventually the doors met in the middle and sealed themselves safely closed. She’d done it.

 

K’s problem was that Dio would certainly vote ‘Betray’. So the best guarantee that Phi could give him was to keep Dio out of AB Room. That, she’d done. Phi turned back to face the console. All she had to do now was press the button reading ‘Ally’ on the screen and her deal with K would be upheld.

As she reached her finger down towards the screen, an alarming thought suddenly struck Phi. What if this had been K’s intention from the beginning? Had he manipulated her into putting so much effort to ensure she could vote ‘Ally’, so that he could then betray her. It was almost as though there was a link between them, through which K was reading her intentions perfectly. If K did betray her now, he could open the Number Nine Door and escape.

On the other hand, if she voted ‘Betray’ and K did as he promised, Dio would escape instead. The only way was for Phi to guess what K would do, and choose appropriately. There was no other thing she could do.

Steeling her nerves, Phi reached down and pressed…

 

 **Choice:**  
**A) Ally**  
**B) Betray**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Time to vote again!_

_Edit: I've made some changes to this chapter to avoid contradicting Zero Time Dilemma. It doesn't matter too much for my story but I'd rather make it as canon-compliant as possible._


	28. The Decline and Fall of the Education System

Phi couldn’t decipher K’s intentions. Did he really only want a guarantee from her, to reassure him and allow him to vote ‘Ally’? Or was it a fiendish trap? Phi forced herself to ignore the feeling that K was reading her very thoughts and make her choice logically. After minutes of intense thought, Phi could only choose based on the balance of probabilities: Dio would definitely attempt to open the Number Nine Door if he got nine points, whereas there was at least a chance that they could persuade K to stay.

Phi pressed ‘Ally’.

Soon after Phi pressed the button the doors opened, and Phi strolled back into the warehouse, trying to keep her nervousness from appearing on her face.

“What the hell were you doing, leaving me out here?!” Dio, her so-called partner, marched up to her and spluttered in her face. “’Cause of that, K’s gonna get out of here! You idiot!”

Phi ignored him. If Dio had wanted a role in the decision-making process, he shouldn’t have been so blatant in his desire to escape alone. Phi left Dio behind and joined the other players in front of the results screen. There was a tense pause as they waited for the screen to activate – even though Zero Jr. was no longer directly appearing, it seemed he still controlled all the systems with his infuriating propensity towards ‘suspense’ – but eventually the projector turned on and the table of results was revealed.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

Tenmyouji                      1                            Betray                        +3                         4  
Quark                             6                                                              +3                         9

Clover                            6                              Ally                          -2                          4

 

Sigma                             5                             Ally                          +2                          7  
Alice                               1                                                             +2                         3

Luna                               5                             Ally                          +2                          7

 

Phi                                  5                             Ally                          +2                          7  
Dio                                 6                                                             +2                          8

K                                    6                              Ally                         +2                           8

 

Phi sighed with relief; she had made the right choice. Now that they had voted and seen the results, there was no indication that K had ever intended to betray her.

Beside her, Dio grumbled, “Heh. You were just lucky. Don’t you dare try something like that on me again, Phi.”

Phi ignored Dio. By now, it was obvious he was just throwing mud against the wall to see what stuck. Instead, Phi headed past him, over to where K, Luna and Sigma were calmly discussing the results.

“Yes, I chose ‘Ally’ too,” K said, “Phi put herself in a situation where choosing ‘Betray’ would be unwise. If she had chosen ‘Betray’, Dio would have nine BP now. I concluded that her desire to avoid that outcome would be stronger than her desire to protect herself with ‘Betray’, and so I voted accordingly.”

“Then why didn’t you choose ‘Betray’?” Sigma asked, “You could be walking out of here with nine points right now.”

“It’s because you promised, right?” Luna suggested.

K laughed heartily. “Yes, that too, I suppose. It’s… difficult to explain. I suppose you could say I felt… a connection. When we were investigating the pantry together, I felt that Phi was somehow… similar to me. Something in me said, ‘Don’t betray her.’ You could call it intuition, I suppose”

So K had felt that link between them as well. But where that connection had reassured K, it had almost driven Phi to make the wrong choice. Phi felt as if her very thoughts had been violated. “Cut it out,” Phi snapped, “Gut feelings are bullshit. Besides, you don’t get to have a connection with me unless I give you permission, and I don’t remember doing that. You’re acting like we’re pals or something. It kind of skeeves me out, to be honest.” Unloading her worry and anger like that made Phi feel better, but it didn’t resolve the underlying problem. Something out of the ordinary had happened between Phi and K, and until Phi understood what was going on she couldn’t hope to feel secure.

“What the hell, man?!” Sigma exclaimed, “He did you a favour and now you’re gonna give him shit for it?” He didn’t understand.

“You chose ‘Ally’ too,” Luna said to Phi, “Didn’t you do that because you trusted him?”

Phi wanted out of this conversation. Now. It was uncomfortable and no-one would believe her if she tried to explain. She had to find a way to trivialise the situation: get everyone off her back.

“Not exactly,” she replied to Luna, testing the waters, “I just made him trust me. When we were in the pantry, I stuffed my face like an idiot. That got him to lower his guard.” There. Now it was officially an intentional scheme of hers, not merely a clumsy response to how ridiculously hungry she had been. There was definitely, _definitely_ , no way she actually had made such a fool of herself. And that meant this so-called connection was bunk as well. Right?

“Did you really think that would be enough to convince him?” Sigma asked with a bemused expression on his face, “I mean, if you were wrong, then he could have escaped and left you behind.”

Phi glared at him. “What are you getting at?”

“Well, I’m just thinking that maybe you felt some kind of connection to him too…” Trust Sigma not to realise that such a link could be a weakness as well as a strength, a vulnerability as well as a tool to use.

“Oh come on! How am I supposed to feel a connection for a guy whose face I haven’t even seen? Just shut up.”

Finally, Sigma backed down. Phi turned her attention away from her own AB Game vote to the main surprise from this round of the AB Game: Tenmyouji successfully betraying Clover. Phi couldn’t believe it – Clover had made it quite clear she didn’t trust any of the other players anymore after Alice’s death – but it had happened anyway.

“Why did you do that?” Clover asked Tenmyouji softly, “What did you tell me all that stuff for? Were you just lying?”

Tenmyouji shook his head “Everything I told you was the truth. You have to trust me…”

“I did!” Clover shouted over him, “Look where it got me! How could you do that? You’re such a jerk! How could I betray you after that? And then you… you…” Clover paused. Her eyes hardened. “Are you Zero?”

“What? No, of course I’m not Zero.”

“Then how could you know all that? Where did you find out about that stuff?” Clover asked aggressively.

“I told you…” Tenmyouji started.

“Don’t lie to me!”

“I’m not lying,” Tenmyouji replied, but it was clear that Clover was unconvinced.

“Forget it. It was stupid to trust you.” Clover almost turned away, but then she said, “I mean, there’s no way…”

Tenmyouji sighed. “Clover, this isn’t about me. I… I made a mistake. I got someone involved in this when I shouldn’t have.”

“You mean Quark? You did this to get Quark’s BP up to nine? But… you’ve only got four points.”

“I’m not important,” Tenmyouji immediately said in response, “The only thing that matters is that Quark gets out of this nightmare. Now, I’m going to go and look for Quark.”

He turned away and, without another word, walked briskly through the magenta door. Clover also left, this time through the cyan door. Phi guessed that Clover intended to return to Alice’s body. But she didn’t think there would be any more clues for Clover to find.

 

The discussion of the Ambidex Game had finished. Since no-one was going to escape yet, there was nothing better to do but carry on with the Nonary Game.

“Um,” Luna piped up, “If we could, uh, change the subject… Where did Dio go? He must have been here for the results.”

“Ah, I saw him leave,” K said, “He checked the results, and then left through the yellow door.”

Unfortunately, none of the players knew what Dio was up to. They could only hope he wouldn’t be able to do too much damage. Before they could start deliberating, the Ambidex Gate smoothly closed. Once all six doors were completely sealed, an announcement sang out through the speakers. “The Ambidex Gates have closed. Round three of the Ambidex Game will be the Star Round. Star keys are required to open the gates. There is no set limit on usage of the star keys. The Ambidex Gates can be opened as many times as the players wish to open them.”

“So, as long as we have the Star keys, we can play the AB Game as many times as we want,” Phi said.

K scratched the side of his helmet thoughtfully. “You probably won’t be able to play it continuously, however. There’s a period of time between when the doors open, and when the polling ends.”

“Based off the last two rounds, I think it’s about forty-five minutes long,” Luna commented, “So I think we should be able to play the game once every forty-five minutes or so.” Luna stopped talking for a second, but then a thoughtful expression appeared on her face, and she continued, “Oh, that’s right. Didn’t Zero Jr. say our bracelets were supposed to change round about now?”

Luna was correct. Phi quickly checked her bracelet, and found that she was now a magenta pair. Sigma was once again her partner. Better than getting stuck with Dio again, she guessed. Though only Luna and K were still present – Phi wouldn’t be able to get a complete picture of the pairings for the next round yet – Phi checked their bracelets as well: K was a yellow pair, Luna was a green solo.

Wait. Green?

In both the previous rounds, there had been a clean dichotomy between primary colours and secondary colours. When the Chromatic Doors were secondary colours, the bracelets were primary colours, and vice-versa. Now however, there were both primary colours and secondary colours on the bracelets. Phi could only imagine what that meant for the next set of Chromatic Doors.

None of the players present knew either, so the only way left to find out more information about the next round was to track down the other players and find out what their bracelets were. Since they also needed to find Quark, their goals were perfectly aligned: they had to search the facility. They agreed that they would go in pairs – Phi with Sigma, Luna with K – for protection in case whoever murdered Alice attacked again, and meet up back in the Floor A warehouse forty minutes before the next set of Chromatic Doors were due to open. Phi just hoped that was enough.

 

With the details sorted, the search began in earnest. As K and Luna left through the magenta door, Sigma and Phi headed to the cyan door, intending to examine Alice’s bracelet. They were in the space behind the cyan door when Sigma tapped Phi nervously on the shoulder.

“Hey… You don’t… uh, you don’t think K’s the killer, do you?” he whispered.

“Maybe,” Phi replied noncommittally.

Sigma’s whisper became harsh. “Maybe? But if he is, then Luna’s in danger!”

“Maybe,” Phi replied again.

“Damnit, Phi!”

“You’re not one to talk,” Phi said, “I didn’t see you stopping her.”

Sigma spoke hesitantly, “Well, yeah, but… I just had this gut feeling I could trust him.”

“A gut feeling, huh? Sure you’re not the one who’s feeling a connection to our armoured friend?” Phi was still feeling rather bitter about the conversation with K after the AB Game. “I mean, all that plating is pretty flattering to his figure.”

Sigma didn’t respond to Phi’s teasing. Instead, he walked further into the crew quarters. Phi was about to follow him when an intriguing but horrible thought struck her.

“Have you considered that it might be Luna?” Phi asked, “The murderer, I mean.”

Sigma replied instantly, “No, that’s not possible. Luna wouldn’t have needed a knife to kill Alice. When we played the last round, Alice’s BP was one. Luna was playing against the two of us. All she would have to do is convince us to vote ‘Ally’ and she could have killed Alice easily.”

Phi saw that Sigma’s argument was fallacious, and pounced. “If she’d done that, do you really think the rest of us would let her get away with it? We’d probably have tied her up, or locked her away, or something. This way, no-one knows who the killer is. Besides, there’s no way in hell Alice would have chosen ‘Ally’. The only way to get an ‘Ally’ vote from your pair would have been to physically overpower Alice. Or trick her, like I did with Dio.”

“So… what? You’re saying Luna’s the killer?”

“Maybe,” Phi said for the third time.

Sigma sighed heavily. “Goddamnit, Phi! Stop saying ‘maybe’ and answer me.”

“I’m just saying the possibility exists. Besides, even if she was, I don’t think we’d need to worry about K’s safety. He’s got a full suit of armour. I’m betting he’s pretty hard to kill with all that on.”

Once she’d said that, Phi continued on, heading towards cabin number two where Alice’s body still lay. She took the wheel on the door in her hands and spun it quickly around. Phi pushed the door open.

Suddenly, Clover burst out of the room. She ducked under Phi’s arm and headed in the direction of the exit door. Phi didn’t react in time to stop her, but managed to catch a quick glance of Clover’s bracelet as Clover’s left arm levered her aside. She was a cyan pair.

“Hey, hey!” Sigma called after her, “C’mon, don’t run away!”

“Run away?” Clover replied softly.

“Well, it sure looked like you were trying to get away from us.”

Clover shook her head slightly. “I wasn’t running away though. I just… don’t want to talk to you.”

“Isn’t that pretty much the same thing?” Sigma asked, “Look, running away isn’t going to do you any good. Don’t you want to find out who killed Alice? Well, you’re not gonna be able to figure that out unless you talk to people.”

“I don’t need to,” Clover interrupted him, “I already figured out who did.”

Both Sigma and Phi hurriedly asked Clover who had murdered Alice, but she crossed her arms defensively over her chest.

“I can’t tell you. You might be working with them. Both of you could be in on it.” It seemed Clover was as untrusting as ever.

“Oh come on! Of course we’re not…” Sigma exclaimed, but Phi restrained him.

“Forget about it. There’s no point. It doesn’t matter what you tell her, she’d never going to believe you. Just tell me one thing, Clover. How did you know who it was?”

Clover considered it, and eventually replied. “I noticed something. Alice figured it out too. Before she… Why don’t you figure it out for yourselves?” Clover took her last, blunt rejection as her cue to leave, and fled from the crew quarters.

“Shit!” Sigma swore once the door had closed behind Clover, “I forgot to ask Clover what colour her bracelet was.”

Fortunately, Phi had seen it, and described Clover’s cyan bracelet to Sigma. Reminded of why they had gone to the crew quarters, Phi picked up Alice’s bracelet. It displayed, in blue text, the word ‘Solo’.

A pattern was emerging. It seemed like pairs had bracelets with secondary colours, while solos had primary colours. If that was the pattern, then the three bracelets they had to find were:

K’s partner, the other yellow pair.

Clover’s partner, the other cyan pair.

The red solo.

Phi placed the blue bracelet in her pocket. Two people would need it to get through the next set of Chromatic Doors; it was best if she kept her eye on it.

Now that Alice’s bracelet was secured, Phi and Sigma turned their attention to what Clover had said, what she had noticed. Clover had said that ‘Alice figured it out too.’ That meant it had to have happened when Alice was still alive. It also had to have happened after they had entered the second set of Chromatic Doors: Alice had entered with Sigma, so if Alice had seen it then, Sigma would know too. That left a very short window in which it could have happened. Phi wracked her brain, and eventually it became obvious.

So when Sigma said, “I wonder what it was that Clover noticed,” Phi knew exactly what to reply with.

“You mean what _Alice_ noticed. Clover must be referring to what Alice was examining by the AB Rooms before she died. You were the one who pointed that out to me, remember?” Phi knelt down and once again examined Alice’s body. “I’m looking for any clues to what she figured out before she died.” It didn’t take much rummaging, now that she had some idea what she was looking for, to find something out of the usual. Phi felt a loose piece of fabric and pulled it out to show Sigma. It was a handkerchief, and when Phi pulled it into the light the dark red stains on it were clearly visible. It was blood. “It’s darker than Alice’s,” Phi explained to Sigma, “so it’s probably been stained like this since before she died.”

“If it’s not hers, whose blood is it?” Sigma asked.

Phi knew that there was only one possibility, but she stayed quiet, hoping that Sigma was capable of working it out for himself. It took him far too long, but eventually he got it.

“The old lady?”

“Yeah, probably,” Phi replied.

“Do you think Alice… killed her?” Sigma asked.

“Who knows? She could have just found this somewhere, for all we know. That possibility fits what Clover told us better. It’s more likely that this is what caused Alice and Clover to figure whatever-it-was out. If we work out why this handkerchief is so important, we’ll work out who killed Alice.”

 

Phi was curious, and given time she would have stayed to put all her effort into deciphering Clover’s riddle. But they didn’t have that time. They still needed to find Quark. Still pondering Alice’s murder in the back of her head, Phi led Sigma to the elevator and down to the lower floor.

“Let’s take the blue door,” Sigma said as they arrived, “We should be able to get to the room Tenmyouji, Quark and Clover went to that way.”

Phi agreed and they headed through. Behind the blue door a winding corridor led them to another hub with a lever and three doors, just like the one that had taken Phi into the pantry. Only the door on the right was unlocked; its holographic plaque read ‘Rec Room’. They entered.

Phi and Sigma found themselves in a warmly lit, brightly coloured room, full of recreational equipment: a kiddie’s ride to their immediate left, a dart board on the middle of the wall immediately opposite, a pool table filling up the centre of the rec room. If she wasn’t in such a hurry to search for Quark, this place would be the ideal place to relax. Tenmyouji stood by the pool table, looking pensively into the corner of the room. He appeared not to have noticed their arrival.

“Tenmyouji,” Sigma announced their presence, “I’m guessing from your face that Quark is still missing.”

“No sign of him, huh?” Phi added.

Tenmyouji glared at them. “Happy? I’m asking if you’re happy that Quark’s still missing.”

“N-No, of course not. Why would we be?” Sigma stuttered.

“Then does it hurt? Are you so terrified about whether or not he’s safe that it feels like someone’s got your chest in a vice?” Tenmyouji stared at their faces deeply for a few tense seconds, then answered his own question, “Hmph. Didn’t think so. Quark’s got nine BP. If I find him first, I might make him escape. So it’s better for you if I haven’t found him yet. Am I wrong?”

Sigma sighed. “Tenmyouji, what’s going on here? This doesn’t sound like you. I know you’re worried about Quark, but…”

Tenmyouji roared, “And just what the hell do you know?! He’s all I’ve got left. If something happens to him, I’ll… I’ll… It’s all my fault. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I never should have brought him here.”

“Wait, what?” Phi asked sharply, “‘Brought him here’? The hell do you mean by that, Tenmyouji?”

Tenmyouji sighed. “Zero made me an offer.”

“I thought you said you and Quark were abducted like the rest of us,” Sigma said.

“You mean you came here voluntarily?” Phi asked. She wanted answers. Why the hell would Tenmyouji bring a child into a Nonary Game? Especially given how much Quark’s disappearance had hurt him. Phi wouldn’t believe it, but Tenmyouji had all but confessed.

Rather than answer, Tenmyouji abruptly changed the subject. “Can I see the other side of your bracelets?” he asked, “Please, just do it.”

Phi glanced at Sigma. Much as she wanted to keep pressing Tenmyouji to tell them why he’d voluntarily brought Quark there, it looked like he wouldn’t continue until they’d done what he demanded. Eventually, both Phi and Sigma held out their wrists. Tenmyouji studied them carefully, and, with his left hand, adjusted their positions, moving them closer together. As he did so, Phi was able to see Tenmyouji’s own bracelet. He was a red solo. When Tenmyouji had finished manipulating their arms, he stepped back. Looking expectantly at Tenmyouji, Phi and Sigma continued to hold out their wrists.

Icy cold liquid shot across them.

Phi yanked her wrist back. “Eyaa!!!” she yelped.

Tenmyouji didn’t explain what he’d done or why he had done it. Instead, he turned away from the and headed to the light switch in the corner of the room. The room went dark. Tenmyouji requested that they show him their bracelets once more. They did so, but even in the low light Phi could see that there had been no effect of the chemical on their bracelets. She didn’t know what Tenmyouji was looking for.

Tenmyouji seemed satisfied, though. “Hmph. It’s not you two, then.”

With Tenmyouji’s judgement, something in Phi’s mind clicked. “That stuff you sprayed us with was Luminol, wasn’t it.” Luminol was a chemical Phi was quite familiar with. Making sure she didn’t leave traces detectable by that stuff was important in her job.

“Isn’t that the stuff they use on cop shows to find blood and, uh, other stuff?” Sigma queried, “Why did you spray us with it?”

Tenmyouji didn’t answer Sigma’s question. “Just relax, okay? I’ve found all I needed to know. Neither one of you is Zero Sr.”

“Are you saying that because there wasn’t any reaction from the Luminol?” Phi asked.

Tenmyouji nodded.

Sigma looked confused. “Uh, someone mind explaining this to me?”

Phi shrugged. “Well, you know as much as I do now. I was just making guesses based on what he was doing.” Sigma seemed to understand, so Phi turned her attention back to Tenmyouji. “Now that’s done, can you get back to this ‘offer’ to you from…”

“Sorry, but I’ve got to go,” Tenmyouji interrupted her, “I need to go look for Quark.”

Tenmyouji turned away, but Sigma grabbed him by the shoulder. “No. I’m sorry, but I can’t let that happen. You dropped a real bomb back there, and I’m not about to just ignore it. What did you mean when you said that Zero made you an offer? Why are you here?”

“I can’t tell you,” Tenmyouji said bluntly.

“Why not?” Sigma asked, “I don’t really understand how, but you seem to have decided that neither of us is Zero Sr., right? Then why can’t you tell us?”

“You don’t get it,” Tenmyouji snapped, “I can’t tell you no matter who you are. Right now, we might as well assume Quark is a hostage. Zero Jr. seems to be aware of everything that goes on here. If I tell you, he’ll know, and then God only knows what Zero Sr. will do. Please… I’m asking you, put yourself in my shoes.”

“That’s kind of difficult,” Phi said, “I’m not sure how I’d put myself in the shoes of someone capable of bringing Quark into a death game. Unless you tell us what’s going on, we can’t help you. If whatever offer you got made is related to Quark’s disappearance, then the rest of us all might be looking in the wrong places. So if you want us to find him, you’re going to have to tell us.”

Tenmyouji looked conflicted, and he eventually let out a frustrated grunt. He shrugged away Sigma’s grasp and marched furiously out the exit door. Phi didn’t know why, but he’d chosen not to answer, for better or for worse.

Once Tenmyouji had left, Sigma sighed dejectedly. “Hey, can I ask you a question?”

Phi shook her head. “It won’t do you any good. Whatever you want to know, I don’t know anything about it.”

“No, it’s not about what just happened. Did you catch what bracelet he was wearing?”

“Chill, man. He’s a red solo. I had a look while he was talking.” That continued the pattern that Phi had noticed: Tenmyouji was a solo, red was a primary colour.

“That, uh, wasn’t what I wanted to ask either,” Sigma said nervously, “When he sprayed us… You, uh, you screamed, didn’t you?”

“No,” Phi lied shamelessly.

“Yeah, you did.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure you did. Not quite so tough when you’re scared, huh?”

In response to Sigma’s incessant insistence, Phi shoved him forcefully towards the exit door of the rec room. “Sh-Shut up! We’ve got stuff to do. Get going! Move!”

“Eyaa!” Sigma screamed, exactly as Phi had. Phi quickly corrected her own thoughts: Sigma screamed, exactly as Phi _hadn’t_. There: that was better.

 

Phi and Sigma left the rec room and found themselves in another warehouse, almost identical in shape to the one on the upper floor. There was one major difference, however, that completely answered all Phi’s questions about the next round of the Nonary Game. There were no Ambidex Rooms on this floor. Where they would have been, Phi could instead see the next trio of Chromatic Doors: white Chromatic Doors.

They made it instantly clear what was going on with everyone’s bracelet colours. By combining the secondary colour of a pair with its complementary colour – belonging to one of the solos – you would produce white, exactly as the Chromatic Doors in front of her demanded. This meant that there was only one possible way of grouping the players for the next round:

Phi and Sigma would go with Luna.

K and his unknown partner would take Alice’s bracelet.

Clover and her unknown partner would go with Tenmyouji.

With that sorted, Phi took her time to explore the rest of this new warehouse. She didn’t expect to find Quark in there – there was no clutter around the walls, which meant that if Quark had been in the warehouse they would have seen him instantly – but any information they could get would be useful.

One thing that Phi saw, to the right of the Chromatic Doors, was a large rusty steel door that – if this warehouse was right below the one on the upper floor as she believed – corresponded to the Number Nine Door. It was exactly the same size and shape, and was similarly held in place by foreboding metal clamps. But where attention was drawn to the Number Nine Door, by spotlights and the blood-red nine painted on it, and by the prominent lever beside it that would eventually open it, this door was so drab as to almost fade into the walls on either side. Nor was there a mechanism by which this door could be opened, or any indication that it could be opened.

Sigma pointed out another of the more striking features of the lower floor’s warehouse. “What’s that over there?” he asked curiously.

Phi’s gaze followed his pointing arm over to where giant blood-red letters were daubed on the wall, reading, ‘Memento Mori. When the nineth lion ate the sun.’ Seeing Sigma’s confused expression, she explained, “Looks like more graffiti. There was some on floor A too, remember?” Phi recalled how she had realised that the previous graffiti had been an anagram and solved it. It was quite likely that this message was an anagram as well.

However, before Phi could start trying to solve it, she was distracted by the arrival of Dio. He strolled in nonchalantly through the same door Phi and Sigma had and surveyed the floor B warehouse with a dismissive expression.

“What are you doing here, Dio?” Sigma asked.

Dio shrugged smarmily. “Oh… nothing. Just going with the flow, you know? Seeing where life takes me.”

“You don’t seem to have any interest in searching for Quark,” Phi said pointedly.

“Why would I? Do we even know he’s really missing? Maybe the little shit’s just off having naptime somewhere? So I figure, let sleeping dogs lie, right? Or kids in this case, I guess. If we wake him up, he might realise he’s got enough BP to blow this popsicle stand and ditch us. That happens and it’s all over. We’ll be stuck in here for the rest of our lives. Which probably won’t be that long.

“So, what are you guys here for?” Dio asked once he’d finished his spiel, “Did you bring Phi here so I could kill her?” He then turned towards Phi. “Oh, really? You already forgotten your little stunt earlier? We’re damn lucky K chose ‘Ally’. If he hadn’t, you’d be hanging from that crane right now.” Dio pointed at the ceiling, where a giant metal claw dangled down towards them.

Phi dismissed Dio’s threat. “Hmph. Sounds like you’re getting a little desperate. Word of advice, Dio: that’s not a smart attitude to have here. All you’ll do is make sure that whoever plays against you in the AB Game won’t pick ‘Ally’.”

Dio snorted. “You talk as if I give a fuck. I already know I won’t be up against you two. K and I are the yellow pair. You guys are the magenta pair, right? Two pairs can’t go through the same Chromatic Door. Simple enough for you?”

With that, Phi was able to work out all the bracelet colours. The trios heading through the white Chromatic Doors were:

Phi and Sigma would go with Luna.

K and Dio would take Alice’s bracelet.

Clover and Quark would go with Tenmyouji.

“How do you know our colours?” Phi asked.

Dio giggled. “K told me. He was down here a while ago. Speaking of which, Tenmyouji and Clover have been around too. Guess everybody misses my company. Anyway, that’s how I know what everyone’s colours are.”

Wait. Why hadn’t Dio made any mention of Luna? When the four of them had left the floor A warehouse, Luna and K had agreed to stick together as they searched for Quark.

Sigma had noticed this as well. “Was K by himself?” he asked worriedly.

Dio nodded.

“What about Luna?” Phi asked directly.

Dio shrugged. “Luna? Haven’t seen her.” He didn’t seem to appreciate the unease in their questions, because he indifferently continued, “Anyway, K and I won’t be pairing with you two. We’ll be taking the blue solo.”

“That’s… that’s Alice’s bracelet,” Sigma said with a wavering voice. As his voice trailed off, he fumblingly fidgeted with his own bracelet. Then he looked closely at its screen. “We’ve only got five minutes left before it’s time to meet up with everybody else,” he mentioned to Phi, “We should get back to floor A.”

Even as Sigma and Phi turned to leave, Dio declined to follow them. “Sorry, but I’m gonna stay here. Moving around so much is a pain in the ass.”

“Nobody invited you,” Sigma replied, “C’mon Phi.”

They had failed to find Quark, and as Phi left she could almost feel Dio mocking them for it. But they had, at the very least, learned everyone’s bracelet colours and more about the facility in which they were trapped.

 

It didn’t take them long to get back to the upper floor, though Phi was worried since they didn’t pass anyone else on the way there. Surely the other players would be returning for the arranged meeting time as well. Phi forced herself not to worry. She and Sigma had been delayed talking to Dio; perhaps the other players were already waiting for them in the floor A warehouse.

As Phi and Sigma entered the lounge on the way to the warehouse, a thought struck her. She paused in the middle of the room, gazing intently at the ornate clock that had formed part of the lounge’s puzzle.

Sigma, not expecting her to stop, walked into the back of her. “Huh? Something up? Why’d you just stop?”

Phi tried to explain. “Well…  You see that clock over there? The one that looks like the sun. It reminded me of that graffiti in the warehouse of floor B. You remember what it said? ‘Memento Mori. If the nineth lion ate the sun.’”

“Oooh, I get it. That’s what the clock made you think of, right? The sun in that sentence.”

Phi decided to test Sigma. “Yeah. Did you notice anything strange about that graffiti?”

Sigma scratched his head. “Apart from the fact that it made no sense? Not really…”

Phi chuckled. “Wrong answer. Maybe you’re not the eagle eye I thought you were. I guess I have to do everything. Part of it was spelled wrong. Specifically, they spelled ‘ninth’ wrong.”

Phi could see Sigma visualising the graffiti as he considered her comment. “Oh, I guess you’re right. They just put an extra ‘e’ in there? That’s kind of a boneheaded mistake. Do you think it was, like, a kid who wrote it?”

“I don’t think it was a mistake at all.”

Sigma shook his head in confusion. “I’m not following.”

“Maybe Zero put that ‘e’ in there on purpose. Maybe because he didn’t have enough letters in there otherwise.” Sigma had to be capable of realising that it was part of an anagram from that massive hint.

Sigma was not capable of realising that it was part of an anagram from that massive hint. “Uh, what?”

Phi sighed, and led Sigma on into the floor A warehouse.

 

They entered the floor A warehouse to find that they were the only players there. That was disconcerting.

“What should we do?” Sigma asked.

“What do you mean, ‘What should we do’? All we can do is wait. We don’t want to end up missing each other by accident.” Besides, staying put would give Phi a chance to think about the things they’d learned during the most recent search of the facility. The first thing that came to mind was Clover’s claim that she knew who murdered Alice. The place where Alice had presumably found the handkerchief was right there in front of them, just waiting to be inspected.

“Hey! Where are you going?” Sigma asked Phi as she moved towards the AB Rooms to start investigating.

“I just wanted to check something really quick. That last time we saw Alice alive, she was right here.” Phi pointed to the far end of the row of AB Rooms. “Remember? She was kneeling down, looking at something on the ground.”

Sigma came up and joined her, and they went round the corner to bring whatever it was that Alice had been looking at into view. They saw it immediately. About halfway along the wall of the AB Room and close to the floor, a small splatter of dried blood showed up brightly against the cold grey metal.

“Isn’t this… blood?” Sigma asked nervously.

Phi patted him on the back encouragingly. “Nice work there, Sigma!”

Sigma sighed. “I don’t need you to pat me on the back. It makes me feel stupid or something.”

“The truth hurts, Sigma.”

Sigma ignored that and kneeled down so that he could look more closely at the blood stain. Phi, lost in thought, was content to look over his shoulder. If there was any chance of her figuring out the circumstances behind Alice’s death, this blood stain was the clue that would let her do it.

She just had to follow Alice’s train of thought. What would have been the first thing to come to Alice’s mind upon finding the blood-soaked handkerchief here? She had to have guessed that it was something to do with the death of the old lady. Everything followed from that.

Somehow, that handkerchief had convinced Clover that she knew who killed Alice. How had it done that? Phi tried to tally up everything unusual about the bloodstain before her. First, the bloodstain was far too small to be from where the old lady was murdered. Phi guessed that it was blood that had dripped from the handkerchief while it was still damp. Secondly, how had the handkerchief become so completely and uniformly stained? It wasn’t just random blood splatter. Thirdly, why had the handkerchief been left there beside the AB Rooms? And finally, why had no-one noticed the bloodstain before Alice did? It was prominently bright – it would have been more so in the past before it dried out – and the players had searched the warehouse thoroughly upon escaping into it for the first time. Surely someone should have noticed the handkerchief then.

All interesting points, but it wasn’t enough to tell Phi who had killed Alice. There was something missing. There had to be something that Phi had missed. Just one more clue, and Phi would be able to unveil the murderer. Just one more clue…

 

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_We've reached **Plot Lock 1: Can't see the Forest for the ABs.** We now have three places we can restart from:_  
_1) We can return to our most recent choice of Chromatic Door (chapter 25) and instead choose to go with Clover through the Green door._  
_2) We've now got the Plot Key for **Plot Lock 8: Unsolvable Ice Puzzle** (Chapter 6). Therefore, we can now continue along that route._  
_3) Finally, we can go back all the way to the first choice of Chromatic Door (Chapter 2) and choose to take Alice through the Cyan Door._

_Feel free to vote in the comments and see you next time!_


	29. Unintended Deceit

_Here we break through **Plot Lock 8: Unsolvable Ice Puzzle.**_ _This follows the end of chapter 6, where Phi, Tenmyouji and Luna were trapped in the pantry. Now, having learned the pantry's safe code in chapter 26, Phi can escape._

* * *

“An Ambidex Gate has been opened. Forty five minutes remain until Ambidex Game polling closes.”

Tenmyouji groaned uncontrollably from where he lay next to the icebox. “I… I need to… get out of here. I need to know if Quark is okay!”

Tenmyouji made to get up, his joints creaking angrily as he misused them, but Luna gently restrained him by his shoulders until his self-destructive efforts relaxed once more. “Don’t move. You won’t recover unless you let yourself heal.” Luna stroked Tenmyouji’s brow tenderly, whispering, “Don’t worry, Junpei. This isn’t the end. We’ll get out of here.”

Tenmyouji appeared to relax. Then, he shuddered. “Wait. How do you know…?” Tenmyouji’s question was lost as his muscles tensed up reflexively, fighting against the pain. He fell silent save for his anguished pants.

Luna ignored Tenmyouji’s question; she looked over to Phi pleadingly. “Phi! You need to find us a way out of here! I know you can do it. Please!”

Phi craned her head looking around the pantry, trying to find any loophole that would let them continue the puzzle. Unfortunately, her evaluation only confirmed that the situation was thoroughly hopeless. The trolley with the computer screen wouldn’t respond unless they could acquire its keycard; the only copy of that keycard was frozen solidly into the bottom of the icebox lid. There was no way they could solve the puzzle.

Phi’s heart began to race. They were really, truly trapped; they would die in that room. The Ambidex Game would continue without them. The other six players might escape, but Phi, Luna and Tenmyouji never would. As Phi’s mind began to unravel in quiet panic she let out one, desolated gasp. And then _her eyes glazed over._

_When Phi rubbed her eyes clean, she was still in the pantry, but the atmosphere was completely different. Where Phi had expected to see Tenmyouji and Luna slumped in defeat by the icebox, she instead saw Dio and K standing, looking expectantly towards the safe. Phi found herself stepping confidently towards it. The moment the input panel was in reach, Phi stretched her arm forward and input a code: a star in the top left corner, two suns in the second row. To Phi’s surprise – as far as she was concerned that passcode had come straight out of nowhere – the safe door obediently opened. Phi was about to reach inside when…_

Tenmyouji’s groans brought Phi back to reality. She shook her head to clear away the images she had seen; when she opened her eyes again, she saw that the safe had in fact opened. When she had input the code, that had been _real_. “The safe’s open!” Phi called out.

“I saw,” Tenmyouji replied. Phi turned to see him standing up again, supporting himself on the icebox. Luna was trying clumsily to support Tenmyouji’s other side, but he was having none of it. Tenmyouji untangled himself from Luna and took a single, unsteady step forward. “ _You_ opened the safe.” Tenmyouji’s tone was bitterly cold; any relief he had that the puzzle was now solved was overwhelmed by his suspicion of Phi. “How the hell did you do that?!”

Phi swung her attention from Tenmyouji to the safe and back again, trying to reconstruct in her mind what had happened. She eventually replied, “I… don’t… It just…”

“Don’t bother making excuses!” Tenmyouji interrupted, “Hmph. I shouldn’t have asked; you’re just going to lie, anyhow. Just like how you betrayed me. Everyone in here’s lying about something or other. You all know things you shouldn’t know. I can’t trust anyone. Just let me have a look in that safe before – Get off me, Luna! – before you get the chance to mess everything up in there.”

Tenmyouji hobbled over at a surprising pace; for fear of clashing with him and injuring him further Phi stepped aside. Tenmyouji snapped open the safe door to its fullest extent, then cautiously reached inside.

The first item Tenmyouji took out was a map, which he unfolded and carefully studied. Phi peered at it as well, though she didn’t do it from right over Tenmyouji’s shoulder. The floor the map showed, presumably the one they had descended to, was labelled ‘Floor B’. Phi could see that the rooms on this floor were arranged into four groups, corresponding to the three Chromatic Doors, red, green and blue, as well as another large room – presumably another warehouse – and other rooms behind it that couldn’t be accessed until one of the puzzles was solved. The exit door led back to the Chromatic doors and the elevator back to the AB rooms; they would emerge through a locked door that the map indicated that this door could only be unlocked from this side.

Below the map were two Ambidex Keycards: Tenmyouji clutched the first closely to his chest before dropping it into his pocket. The other card belonged to Phi and Luna as a pair: Tenmyouji grudgingly handed it to Luna as she approached.

Finally, Tenmyouji collected the exit door key and strode towards the door, his gait becoming steadier with every step as he recovered. He placed the key in its hole then paused. “No. There is one person Quark and I can trust,” Tenmyouji muttered. He turned the key; the moment the door had opened he was gone.

Luna came up to Phi and held her gently by the shoulder. “It’ll be okay, Phi. Tenmyouji’s just worried, that’s all. He’ll come around, I’m sure.”

Phi didn’t respond. She wondered, for a second, why only Tenmyouji had been surprised by the opening of the safe. She was concerned about it herself: it shouldn’t have been possible for her to just come up with the code with no information. But Luna didn’t show any signs of worry at all.

But anywhere that train of thought might lead would just be fruitless speculation. Luna was calm; that didn’t mean anything more than that she was calm. For that matter, Phi was probably just contrasting Luna’s relative calmness with Tenmyouji’s seething rage.

Phi dismissed that line of thought and left the pantry.

 

When Phi, Luna and Tenmyouji returned to the warehouse, they found Alice, K and Dio waiting for them. Dio was leaning against the row of Ambidex Rooms, right next to the single opened door. From the way he was twirling the AB keycard he held, it was clear Dio had been the one to open it.

The panic Phi had felt when the announcement had first played echoed inside of her, building up to a focused fury as she remembered those few moments when she had thought she was trapped. “What the hell, Dio?!” she shouted, “Why did you open up the AB Room so quickly? The rest of us weren’t back yet!”

Dio shrugged and smiled casually. “Well, you’re out now, aren’t you? So what if I opened up the door a bit early? All it means is we get onto the next game quicker. You lot should be thanking me, really.”

“Sure, we’re out…” Phi said. As narrow as their escape from the pantry had been, she didn’t want to describe it to the others. It had already made Tenmyouji suspicious enough. “But what about the others?” Phi continued, “They’re not…”

“Clover!” Alice exclaimed, looking past Phi, Tenmyouji and Luna towards the magenta door, “Thank goodness you’re back!”

Phi turned around to see Sigma and Clover entering the warehouse wearily. Sigma and Clover entered alone.

Quark wasn’t with them.

“Hey!” Tenmyouji roared, “Where’s Quark?!” Tenmyouji advanced on Sigma, his arms raised, his hands clenching tensely into shuddering fists.

Sigma stammered as he started to reply. “Th-The treatment centre!” he gasped, “We left him in the treatment centre. There were pods there that could keep him stable.”

“I don’t believe you. What did you really do to him, you…”

“No, it’s true!” Clover interjected. Tenmyouji subtly but visibly relaxed the moment Clover spoke. “It’s true! There were these three pod things there, and they said they could treat Quark. But, um, I don’t think they could cure him. I’m sorry.”

Tenmyouji sighed. “Are these pod things really safe?”

“Probably,” Clover replied.

Tenmyouji’s face contorted. “Probably?!”

Sigma waved his hands nervously. “No, they’re definitely safe. He’s fine!”

“Well, are they safe or aren’t they?!” After the force of that loud yell, Tenmyouji had to catch his breath. “Look, I’m just worried about him, alright? Can you take me to this treatment centre, Clover? We’ve still got twenty minutes left. Plenty of time to have a look around and come back.”

“Okay. Come on, then,” Clover replied, heading towards the magenta door.

Sigma started to follow her, but Tenmyouji snapped round to face Sigma sternly. “No, Sigma. I asked Clover to show me around. Stay here.” Tenmyouji turned away and followed Clover out the warehouse.

 

Sigma sighed, then turned back to the rest of the group. Noticing the open AB Gate, he asked the same question as Phi had earlier, only to receive a similarly dismissive reply from Dio. Scowling, Sigma held out a piece of paper. “Didn’t you find one of these notes? We found this in the treatment centre. You should probably read it. You especially, Dio.”

Despite Sigma’s insistence, Dio didn’t want to read the note. Instead, Alice took the note from Sigma’s hands, turned it around, and read it.

“Hmm… ‘Hare are some more AB Game rules for you! Not voting is not an hoption. If both parties refuse to vote, everybunny gets penalised!’”

Phi’s heart skipped a beat. They hadn’t just been trapped in the pantry: if the forty-five minutes had run down, none out of her, Tenmyouji and Luna would have voted. All of them would have died. They would have died. Phi froze, trying not to let the residual dread show through on her face.

Dio didn’t seem bothered. “Cut me some slack, man. I didn’t know.”

“So you wouldn’t have opened the gate if you did?” Sigma asked pointedly.

Dio laughed falsely. “Of course I wouldn’t have! What the hell, bro?” Phi didn’t believe Dio, but there was no way to get an actual apology out of him. The conversation went silent.

Once Phi had finally recovered, she spoke. “Sigma, you said the room you went into was a treatment centre, right? If they treat people there, I’d think they’d have shelves of medicine and stuff. Did you find any Axelavir?”

Sigma shook his head. “No. It’s… not really that kind of place. It just had those treatment pods, and that was it. Besides, if we’d found anything to cure Radical-6, we wouldn’t have put Quark in the pod. And since the pod can’t straight-up cure Radical-6…”

“How do you know that?” Alice interrupted.

“Well, it said on the screen next to the pods. Something about how it can provide relief from the symptoms, but can’t actually cure the disease. That’s better than nothing, though.” Sigma scratched his chin for a few seconds, then drew in a sharp breath. Oh! Right, there’s one more thing about the pods I should tell you. Treating people wasn’t the only thing the pods could do. They could also do something called ‘Cold Sleep’.”

“‘Cold Sleep’?” Luna asked hesitantly.

“Yeah,” Sigma continued, “I think it refers to being cryogenics or something like that. You know, being able to store people by freezing them. Anyway, once the puzzle had finished, the screen next to the pod started saying something about it. In each of the three pods there, the records said that someone had recently been revived from the pods.”

“‘Recently’?” Phi quoted, “Does that mean the records said what the time and date are now, so you could compare?”

“No, sorry. All the records were labelled by their time before the present. Like, the people were revived about eight hours ago, so the records just said ‘-8:16: Cold Sleep mode disengaged.’ So it didn’t say what time that actually was. There weren’t even any records before then. They’d all been deleted.”

K got to the point, “But you are suggesting that three of us were, until recently, cryogenically frozen?”

Sigma nodded slowly. “If you can trust what we read, yeah.”

“So, which of us are the pod people, then?” Alice pondered, leaning her head on her palm.

“I don’t know,” Sigma answered, “It didn’t say who they were, or even when they were frozen.”

Phi carefully considered everything Sigma had told them. These treatment pods were an intriguing new piece on the board. Everything, from their capabilities, to their flaws, to the identities of the people who had been stored there, could be crucial for either escaping or figuring out the mysteries behind the Nonary Game. As Phi pieced the various components together, and opportunity occurred to her. “So this cold sleep… That means they basically froze the body solid, right? Not just slowing it way down, like when a bear or something hibernates. So, what would happen to the heart?”

“So what?” Sigma asked.

Phi sighed. He could be so dense sometimes. She tried to lead him to the answer she’d thought of. “The heart would stop when you were put into cold sleep, wouldn’t it? And what happens when your heart stops?”

“Umm… you die?”

“Be a bit more optimistic, Sigma.” Phi gave up and just explained the answer. “Our bracelets are measuring our heart rate. That’s what Zero Jr. said. If our heart stops, the bracelet will think we’ve died and come off.”

Sigma finally got it. “Oh! So if we go into cold sleep, our bracelets would come off!”

“Then we could just defrost ourselves right away!” Dio finished off.

K bowed his head glumly. “I imagine that will work for you, but perhaps not so much for me. My armour…”

“Actually, that’s probably for the best,” Phi said, “Even once we’d all got our bracelets off, we’d still need someone to finish off the Nonary Game and open the Number Nine Door for us. You could betray in the next round and open it immediately because you wouldn’t have to worry about leaving anyone behind.”

Alice started marching towards the magenta door, following the path taken by Clover and Tenmyouji. “We should have a look, at any rate. We’ll be able to come up with a plan once we know more.” Following Alice’s command, all the players headed towards the elevator and the way down to the treatment centre.

 

Phi was the first to make it to the treatment centre, having taken the lead the moment they had stepped out the elevator and broken out into a furious pace, curious to see the treatment centre. The room was as bare as Sigma had described it, with none of the medicines or equipment that Phi would have expected from a treatment centre. The only thing of interest was a wide plexiglass window, through which Phi could see a chamber with the three treatment pods Sigma had described.

The plexiglass rattled violently.

On the other side, Clover had just slammed Tenmyouji forcefully against the window and was now holding him firmly against it, anguished fury all over her face. “Lies! You’re lying!” Clover yelled straight into his face, “You can’t be him! There’s no way!”

Tenmyouji turned his head to the side, away from Clover; Phi could see his eyes drop away mournfully. Phi scrambled forward, looking for the door into the treatment pod chamber. When she found it, tucked around the corner, she raced in, shouting, “Clover!”

Clover paused for a second. Then, she dramatically let Tenmyouji go – he slumped slightly as he was released – and took a single step back. “You have to be lying,” she muttered, “So why do I… believe you?”

Tenmyouji didn’t react to his sudden rescue. He retreated into the corner furthest from the door and placed his hand defensively over one of the pods.

“So… The hell was that about?” Phi asked them both cautiously.

No response.

Phi tried again. “Uh… Is Quark okay? Is that the pod he’s in?”

“Yeah,” Tenmyouji replied. He said nothing else.

“Come on. Give me something, here.”

Once again, there was no response.

Shortly after, the other players arrived, Sigma leading them in. He showed them round to the inner door and they all piled into the treatment pod chamber.

“What are you lot all doing down here?” Tenmyouji asked warily, “I said Clover should show me around here, not everyone!”

Clover had been doing much more to Tenmyouji than just ‘show him around’, but Phi didn’t comment. Instead, she just explained, “We had an idea while we were waiting for you. I think we might be able to use the cold sleep function on these pods to trick the bracelets off our wrists.”

“Hmph,” Tenmyouji replied.

“Hey, Sigma,” Phi continued, “You were in here first. Can you show us how to use these things?”

“Sure!” Sigma replied. He approached the middle pod and tapped away at the computer screen beside it. Then he froze. “Um…”

“What?!” Alice snapped.

Sigma spoke hesitantly. “The cold sleep function… doesn’t work.”

“What do you mean, ‘The cold sleep function doesn’t work’!” Alice shouted.

“Thought so,” Tenmyouji said, “Zero Sr. must have just locked it down.”

Sigma tried activating the pod one more time, to no avail. “But when Clover and I were in here it worked.”

“Yeah, I remember checking it,” Clover confirmed.

Dio snorted sharply. “That bastard set this up… That’s low.”

There was a long deflated silence as everyone felt the possibility of escape slip away. Eventually K spoke up.

“It is not pleasant, but consider this: We have seen how thorough Zero is. Would he really have left such an obvious loophole?”

K was probably right, but Phi was troubled by his implication that they should treat their captor as omniscient. If the players acted as though any move they might make had already been pre-empted, they wouldn’t even attempt any out-of-the-box escape strategies. Then, a dismaying thought struck Phi. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything,” Phi said, “If Zero Jr. heard me, he could have shut it off.” It was entirely possible – probable even – that it was entirely Phi’s fault that this opportunity had been lost. She had overlooked one small detail, and because of that the players were still trapped within the facility.

An announcement played, reverberating in the confined space and interrupting their conversation. “Ten minutes remain until Ambidex Game polling closes. All players, please enter your votes. If no vote is recorded before the deadline has passed, any non-voting parties will automatically ally.”

“Time’s running out!” Clover exclaimed, “We should get back, guys.”

Tenmyouji, still ensconced in the corner, looked from the pod to Phi and Luna and back again. Eventually he said, softly, “I’m staying here. I can’t leave Quark.”

“Are you nuts!” Dio yelled, “Luna and Phi could kill you!”

“Yeah, I know,” Tenmyouji stated woodenly, “I don’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m just going to have to trust Phi and Luna not to vote ‘Betray’.”

“We won’t,” Phi said, “You staying here won’t change our vote.”

“Right. We always intended to choose ‘Ally’. Tenmyouji staying here is just another reason to stick to that plan,” Luna said as well.

Tenmyouji stared at them. He opened his mouth, but shivered, as though he was steeling himself for what he was about to say. Eventually, he declared, “I… trust Phi and Luna. I’m sure they’ll choose ‘Ally’. I’m sure…” As he trailed off, Tenmyouji turned away from them and knelt down next to Quark’s pod. He bowed his head over it in silence, still shaking imperceptibly.

 

The players, minus Quark and Tenmyouji, returned to the elevator. Phi watched as Luna used the keycard from the pantry to open up one of the AB Gates. Phi expected Luna to enter immediately, but Luna stepped aside and let Phi enter first. Even once Phi was inside the Ambidex Room, Luna only walked forward enough to cross the threshold; she allowed Phi to be the first to approach the control panel. Phi did so, then pressed the button that would close the doors and start the Ambidex Game.

“You’re going to vote ‘Ally’, aren’t you, Phi?” Luna asked, “We promised Tenmyouji. Please, please, vote ‘Ally’, please!”

Phi moved her finger over the screen to do so. Then, she paused.

This… was an opportunity. Phi had only just missed an opportunity for all the players to escape together. Maybe, just maybe, she should take this opportunity to escape alone, before it was also lost. It wasn’t even certain that she would be leaving alone: Sigma and Clover would also reach nine points if they betrayed Quark, and either K or Dio could possibly escape as well.

Yes, Tenmyouji would die. But did that really matter? Tenmyouji might have chosen to stay with Quark rather than take part in this AB Game, but other than that he was becoming increasingly suspicious of everyone around him. A player like that could only be a liability in a game like this. A danger, even. Maybe it was best for Phi to just finish this before things got even worse. Maybe, just maybe…

**Choice:**  
**A) Ally**  
**B) Betray**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_We're back at another AB Game choice! If you have an opinion, please vote in the comments._

_I think I'm far enough through writing this to have a decent estimate of how many chapters there will be in total, so I've updated the chapter count. Even if I'm wrong, I can always change it later. Those 93 chapters include all the bad ends and also two chapters that may end up just disappearing entirely depending on which route we take. My intention is to include those chapters we don't go through as an appendix after the epilogue._

_See you in two weeks time!_


	30. Whoops! 3: You Monster

_It was a close vote, but..._

* * *

Phi pressed ‘Betray’.

It was almost easy to do. All she had to do was reach out her arm and tap, gently. Here, in this enclosed Ambidex Room, the consequences to anyone else but her need not matter to Phi.

“Phi!” Luna’s voice trembled. “How could you?”

Phi turned to see Luna standing between herself and the opening Ambidex Gate, her arms spread out wide. “What, Luna?” Phi asked acidly, “Are you going to try to stop me? It’s done, now.”

Luna stayed frozen where she was, gazing at Phi with absolute horror. “You… Y-You killed…”

“Yeah, I know,” Phi replied. “Calculated decision. Someone has to get out of here and get help, before Quark gets any worse, and it might as well be me.” The words slipped off Phi’s tongue as easily as if she had thought of the justification beforehand. Maybe she had, subconsciously.

Luna still didn’t move. “Quark’s in the pod, now. He’s going to be… He would have been… okay.”

“Luna,” Phi commanded, “Are you going to move? Or do I have to force my way past you?” Phi didn’t wait for Luna’s response; she advanced sternly until she was glaring right into Luna’s eyes. Then, with a quick, precise weave, Phi ducked under Luna’s outstretched arm. There was nothing Luna could have done to stop her.

Phi took steady, confident steps into the middle of the warehouse, as though nothing had happened. The other players present – Sigma, Dio, K, Alice and Clover – were all already gathered around the results screen. They didn’t see Phi.

Phi quickly approached the Number Nine Door. She already knew that she had nine bracelet points; she needed to open the door before anyone could stop her. As she placed her hands firmly around the lever that would activate her escape route, she turned her head to make sure no-one had noticed her. As she did, she caught a glance at the results.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

K                                     6                           Betray                         0                           6  
Alice                                1                                                             0                           1

Dio                                  6                           Betray                         0                           6

 

Sigma                              6                             Ally                         +2                          8  
Clover                             6                                                            +2                          8

Quark                              6                             Ally                         +2                          8

 

Phi                                  6                           Betray                        +3                          9  
Luna                               1                                                             +3                          4

Tenmyouji                       1                            Ally                           -2                         -1

 

So, no-one would be escaping with her. Very well. Phi pulled down the Number Nine Door’s lever in the very moment that the results were displayed; no-one could stop her now. Five heads swivelled in horror to face her and the gradually rising door. Phi gazed back, impassively. She was waiting for the storm of criticism that was sure to come.

“What the utter _hell_ , Phi?!” Sigma started the barrage, “You just – I can’t believe it – you just murdered Tenmyouji!”

“Yeah,” Phi replied calmly, “I’m not going to deny it.”

Alice raised her hand to her mouth and shouted into the AB Room Phi had just come out of. “Luna! What the hell happened in there?”

Luna emerged. Seeing Phi standing by the Number Nine Door, Luna sank to her knees. “I-I’m so sorry. I… I thought she was going to ally. We agreed that she was going to vote ally. And then… she didn’t.”

Sigma’s jaw dropped in slow motion. He stammered as he choked on his words, before finally croaking out the single syllable, “Why?”

Phi sighed. “Tenmyouji would have agreed, if I’d asked him. I get to bring rescuers here quicker than if we’d done anything else. That means we can save Quark sooner. All it cost was Tenmyouji’s life. You really believe he wouldn’t have gone for that deal?"

Dio snorted. “Man, that’s cold. Do you really expect us to believe that you’re not gonna just waltz off and leave us stuck here?”

“It hardly matters now,” K stated, pointing at the door opening behind Phi. “Still, I am somewhat disturbed by this turn of events. Before this, I would have included Phi among those I would trust to rescue the rest of us after her escape. Now… I cannot be so sure.”

“Whatever you think, it doesn’t matter,” Phi replied, “I am going to get help, whether you believe it or not.” Phi checked; the Number Nine Door had opened enough to let her through. “See you then, I guess.”

“No!” Sigma shouted, “Stop!” But he didn’t move; he knew it was pointless.

Phi stepped back across the threshold. As she left the bright lights of the warehouse and her eyes adjusted to the relative darkness, she was able to see clearly the area behind the Number Nine Door. Phi kept walking back until she stood at the middle of the elevator that had to be her escape route. Still staring back at the other players inside the warehouse, Phi waited for the door to descend. It did so. First it cut away the shaft of light descending from the warehouse ceiling. Then it blocked Phi’s view of the other players. Eventually it reduced Phi’s field of view to just an ever-shrinking patch of floor.

And, at the last second, Clover came sliding under the door at tremendous speed.

 

“The Number Nine Door has closed. This ends the Nonary Game. Thank you for playing.”

Phi’s bracelet unlocked and dropped harmlessly from her hand. Clover’s did not.

“What are you doing?!” Phi asked, “You were supposed to wait in the warehouse. Because you’re out here, you’re…”

“I know that!” Clover interrupted. She rubbed her wrist where the Soporil had been injected, and her eyes already showed the first signs of wooziness, but otherwise her focus was completely on Phi. “I’m not going to let you get away with this!”

Phi pressed the button to activate the elevator, but she was too late; Clover was already aboard the platform. As they began to rise, Phi tried to talk Clover down. “Clover, whatever you do here, it’s not going to help. Tenmyouji’s dead by now. If I don’t get out of here…”

“I don’t care!” Clover roared, interrupting Phi once more. “You’re going to _pay_ for killing him! I was this close to believing him, and then you just killed him! I’m going to kill you!” Clover glared hatefully at Phi.

Phi reluctantly dropped back into a fighting stance, ready to defend herself.

Before she had even seen Clover move, Phi’s right wrist was broken. Phi sent out a desperate left jab, trying to fend Clover off. It failed. Clover ducked under the wild shot, drove a fist into Phi’s sternum, then stamped viciously onto Phi’s left ankle; it shattered as well. Phi stumbled back, trying to ignore the searing pain; she supported herself on the railings of the elevator and prepared herself for one last stand.

Clover advanced unstoppably. Ignoring all her flailing, Clover grabbed Phi by her remaining usable arm and flipped her to the floor. Phi felt her right foot slip into the gap between the platform and the wall. Before Phi could save it, her foot was shredded.

Clover levered back Phi’s left arm until her shoulder muscles screamed from the strain, but Phi barely noticed; it was drowned out by the pain from everywhere else. Eventually, Clover turned Phi over so Phi was gazing up into the elevator shaft. Clover knelt down, placed her hands calmly around Phi’s throat, and began to squeeze.

Air! Phi needed air. Her lungs burned, craving for it. Phi’s mouth opened wide to take in the air but it was useless: there was no way through. Cracks spread at the corner of Phi’s vision as her mind began to break down. Gradually, but inevitably, everything faded into darkness.

 

And then, the pressure released.

As sight returned to Phi’s eyes, the first thing she saw, at the very moment the elevator reached the top of the shaft and stopped, was Clover collapsing beside her. It took a while for Phi’s oxygen-starved brain to understand, but finally she realised: the Soporil in Clover’s veins had finally taken effect.

“No… No… you don’t get to do this. You don’t get to… live…” Clover’s voice faded away. She struggled to keep her arms supporting her for what seemed like a minute, but eventually they gave way. Clover stopped moving. It was over.

Phi was alive.

When she had regained her breath, she evaluated her situation. The elevator had reached its destination. All Phi needed to do was stand up, and she could escape.

She couldn’t. She couldn’t stand up.

When Phi tried to move her legs, her only response was a terrifying wave of pain. She tried to crawl her way along the floor, but her right hand failed to grip and her left arm completely lacked the strength to drag her. The fight had completely disabled every one of her limbs.

Phi couldn’t move.

But, at least, Phi was alive.

 

**Game Over…**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Well... that happened... RIP, Tenmyouji. RIP Clover.  
_ _Since I don't think anyone wants to just leave it here with Tenmyouji and Clover dead, we'll have to go back. By default, I'll go back to our last choice, but if anyone wants to go somewhere else feel free to leave a comment._

_On lighter news, Zero Escape 3: Zero Time Dilemma is out! :) :) :) :)! I've just bought it, though I won't have time to play it today. They've promised to reveal a lot of stuff about Phi's background so I'm really hoping they don't contradict my story too much or (miracle upon miracles) confirm my ideas about Phi, since I'm too far in to change anything now. I'll probably update this author note once I get to the end: I'll try not to spoil anything, but I want to give an indication of how close I was to the truth; expect to see "Not Zero Time Dilemma compliant" tags in future._


	31. Cold Comfort

Phi pressed ‘Ally’.

There was no way Phi would kill Tenmyouji just to escape. She’d done some shady stuff in her time, but she wasn’t prepared to sink that low. Phi turned away from the console and nodded to Luna. “There. I voted ‘Ally’.”

Luna held her hands over her heart, a weak smile forming on her lips. “Thank you, Phi. I’m glad we were able to keep our promise to Tenmyouji. Shall we go?”

The Ambidex Gate had opened, and Luna lead Phi back out into the warehouse. Cautiously making sure none of the other players were attempting to slip away towards the Number Nine Door – a sure sign that they had attempted to get nine BP – Phi approached the results display screen. Fortunately, all the other players were doing so as well: no-one had attempted to betray their way to an escape, or at least no-one expected to succeed. Phi’s conclusion was quickly confirmed when the projectors activated and the scores were finally displayed.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

K                                     6                           Betray                         0                           6  
Alice                                1                                                             0                           1

Dio                                  6                           Betray                         0                           6

 

Sigma                              6                             Ally                         +2                          8  
Clover                             6                                                            +2                          8

Quark                              6                             Ally                         +2                          8

 

Phi                                  6                             Ally                          +2                           8  
Luna                               1                                                             +2                           3

Tenmyouji                       1                             Ally                          +2                           3

 

There. No one had escaped this round, and now Phi was only one point, only one round, from being able to escape herself. She had made the right choice.

Phi watched as Sigma nodded amiably to Clover – they seemed content in their mutual decision not to betray Quark - and then strolled over to her and Luna. “So, you guys chose ‘Ally’, too, huh?” he said.

“Of course,” Phi stated firmly, though at the back of her throat her voice wavered: she’d actually been so close to voting ‘Betray’ instead. “Tenmyouji only had one point left, and he was guaranteed to vote ‘Ally’. So… there was no way we could betray someone in that position.”

Next to Phi, Luna held her hand over her mouth, her face pale. “If we had, then he’d have… he’d…”

Sigma nodded. “Yeah. You didn’t have much choice.”

Phi turned away from Sigma and watched as the final trio – Alice, K and Dio – concluded what had to have been a very heated argument. They would have continued – Alice in particular looked almost ready to punch Dio – but they were interrupted by the creaking squeal as the Ambidex Gates closed. Once every last door had slammed shut, an announcement explained the next round. “The Ambidex Gates have closed. Round three of the Ambidex Game will be the Star Round. Star Keys are required to open the gates. There is no set limit on usage of the Star Keys. The Ambidex Gates can be opened as many times as players wish to open them.”

“As many times as we want, huh?” Sigma remarked, “So, I guess that means we have to get through one more puzzle room, and then we just keep using the Ambidex Rooms over and over and over again.”

At Sigma’s mention of ‘puzzle room’, Phi recalled something important. “Hmm… Aren’t our bracelets supposed to change once the gates have closed?” Phi glanced at her bracelet to confirm it. She was right: her bracelet’s text was now magenta, though she was once again part of a pair.

With her own bracelet sorted, Phi wandered among the other players, quickly examining their bracelets as well. Phi found her partner quickly: it was Alice. The other bracelets were:

Luna and Clover were the cyan pair.  
K was a red solo.  
Dio was a green solo.  
Sigma was a blue solo.

Wait: the solos were primary colours?! Even though Phi, as a pair, had a secondary colour on her bracelet? In the previous rounds, the players had all been primary colours so that they could open Chromatic Doors with the secondary colours, or vice-versa. What were they supposed to do with a mixture of primary colours and secondary colours?

Before Phi could get too confused, Sigma inadvertently explained it. “So how are the groups supposed to work out this round? I think the next doors are going to be those white ones down in the floor B warehouse…”

White Chromatic Doors. That explained it. Hoping that her relief wasn’t showing too obviously on her face, Phi quickly analysed the situation and, without missing a step, explained how the next round would work.

Phi and Alice would go through one door with Dio.  
Luna and Clover would go with K.  
Tenmyouji and Quark would open up the final door with Sigma.

“Huh?” Sigma asked, “How do you know about Tenmyouji and Quark? Don’t you have to check…?”

“No,” Phi interrupted with certainty, “They aren’t here, but I’m sure they’re the yellow pair. If they weren’t, Sigma would be stuck without anybody to pair up with.” Phi finished explaining how each pair, with their secondary coloured bracelets, would need to join with a primary colour to make white.

With everything explained, there was an uncomfortable silence as no-one knew what to do. Eventually, Luna broke it. “So… um, what do we do now? It looks like we have a lot of time until the next lot of Chromatic Doors open.”

Phi answered, “I’m worried about Quark’s condition. Those pods can’t cure Radical-6; he still needs help.”

Alice nodded. “Well, we don’t have anything to lose, so we might as well look for that medicine… Axelavir, right?”

“I’ll help!” Luna chimed in, almost before Alice had finished speaking.

Everyone else agreed to help search – Dio did so with barely disguised reluctance – and the players quickly grouped up to search the rooms on the lower floor: Luna and Alice would reunite with Tenmyouji in the treatment centre, Dio and K would search the pantry, and Clover, Sigma and Phi would explore the pressure exchange chamber. After agreeing when they would meet up by the next set of Chromatic Doors, they split up.

 

For the elaborateness of its name, the first thing Phi noticed upon entering the pressure exchange chamber was how incredibly sparse it was. Except for a few opened cabinets – containing nothing but identical protective suits – some piping that ran down from the ceiling and dived into the floor, and a weird deactivated machine in an alcove in the far corner, the dull grey walls were bare of anything of interest. Phi felt her hopes drop.

“Well, let’s look around,” Phi instructed, trying to keep the uncertainty out of her voice, “We should see if this pressure exchange chamber has anything to offer.”

“Huh?” Clover gasped. When both Sigma and Phi had turned to face her, Clover explained, “This isn’t the pressure exchange chamber! This is just a prep room or something like that. The actual PEC is down the elevator.” Clover pointed to a corner of the room where a small platform was separated from the rest of the floor by waist high walls. On a second inspection, and on Clover’s insistence, Phi could accept that it was an elevator.

“How did you know that?” Sigma asked Clover quizzically.

“Well, Alice told me. She solved the puzzle in here, remember?”

“Fair enough,” Sigma replied, “Let’s head downstairs, then.”

The three of them crowded onto the small platform and were taken down to the area below. The lower room was divided in two by a series of sturdy windows. Through them, Phi could see where the pipes from the floor above entered a complicated web of machinery, tubes and cables. Clover had been right: this was the real pressure exchange chamber. The only way through from one side to the other was through a door in the centre of the row of windows. From its thickness and the fact that it was the door into a pressure exchange chamber, Phi concluded that the door was probably intended to be airtight, but now it had been propped open and it was possible to move freely from one side to the other.

“So this is the real thing…” Sigma murmured as he stepped off the elevator. “Why do they have something like this here?”

Phi and Sigma both turned to Clover, who was most likely to know the answer via Alice. Clover scratched the corner of her mouth as she pondered; after only a minute’s thought, she answered.

“Um… Alice said that the air pressure is much higher in here than outside. That’s why we would have to go through a chamber like this to get outside. I think it’s supposed to keep the virus out. All those orange suits upstairs? They’re to keep the virus from infecting you when you go out.”

“Whoa! ‘Virus’!” Sigma interrupted, “You mean it’s not just Quark that’s infected? That the entire rest of the world is as well?”

Phi sighed. “Looks that way. Still, it looks like we’ll be protected if we do leave, so we shouldn’t stop trying to escape. Let’s see how this place works.”

Phi started walking purposefully towards the door, but she was interrupted by Clover. “Phi! I don’t think we can. Alice would have left already if she could.”

“She’d really leave you behind that easily?” Sigma asked.

“It’s not like that!” Clover exclaimed, “I’d want her to escape! She has to continue our mi…” Clover trailed off.

“‘Mi’?” Sigma echoed.

Clover stuttered. “Um… Mi… Mi… Minigolf! Alice has to finish our minigolf!” Clover exclaimed. Phi didn’t for a moment believe that complete non-sequitur was what Clover had originally been going to say, and from the bemused look on his face Sigma didn’t either, but before they could stop her Clover had already sped ahead and changed the subject. “There’s a door on the other side of the chamber, but it’s locked. Not just locked: welded completely shut. There’s no way through.”

Sigma grunted angrily. “Damnit. Just one door between us and freedom!”

“Well, if you look at it that way,” Phi replied, “it’s the same as the Number Nine Door. Whatever. We need to be focusing on finding that Axelavir. Quark needs it.” Phi quickly settled on the most efficient way for them to go about searching, then announced it. “I’ll go look around upstairs. You two take this floor, alright?” Phi was adamant that she would rather take the upper floor. She was increasingly beginning to suspect that there wouldn’t be any Axelavir in the PEC; by returning to the upper floor she would have less distance to go to move on.

“Got it,” Sigma responded. He briskly walked through the door into the actual pressure exchange chamber and started rummaging through the machinery.

Clover made to join him but Phi stopped her and drew her aside. Phi was nearly ready to head up the elevator but there was one thing she was curious about that she wanted to ask Clover about first.

“Clover…” Phi began.

“Huh?” Clover interrupted. She looked annoyed. It was almost like she knew what was coming.

Phi went ahead and asked, “Clover, what were you arguing about with Tenmyouji earlier, in the treatment centre? You never said.”

Clover’s usually bouncy movements froze instantly. She glared at Phi leerily. “It was just a bunch of lies,” Clover said woodenly, “Why should you care about it?”

Phi shrugged, trying to look as disarming as possible. “Just concerned, that’s all. You were quite angry back then, and I’d rather deal with any problems like that sooner than let them blow up in our faces. Okay?”

Clover just turned her head away. “I don’t care,” she stated icily, “It was nothing. Nothing at all.”

Phi knew then that she would never get any answers at all out of Clover. If she wanted to know what was going on, there was only one thing she could do: ask Tenmyouji. Phi quickly resolved to do so and headed back up the elevator.

 

Though Phi thoroughly searched the prep room of the PEC first – confirming, as she had expected, that there was no Axelavir to be found – she was eager to head over to the infirmary and start finding some answers. Despite the apparent closeness of the PEC to the infirmary according to the map, the quick route there went via a room that hadn’t been opened up yet; those doors were still locked. Phi had to backtrack out to the lower floor warehouse – seeing the white Chromatic Doors for the first time – and then run all the way around to reach the infirmary.

When Phi arrived she saw Luna fretfully examining the screen next to Quark’s treatment pod. Quark, of course, was still inside and was hopefully still resting peacefully. Outside the pod room, Alice had removed the cushions from the seats and was rummaging underneath them. She looked intensely frustrated. Phi guessed they hadn’t any more luck than she had finding Axelavir. But there was one thing other than Axelavir that was missing.

Tenmyouji wasn’t to be seen.

“Where the hell’s Tenmyouji?” Phi asked sharply as she stepped across the threshold, “I was sure he would be here with Quark.”

Both Alice and Luna spun around to face Phi, surprised by her sudden entry. “Oh, Phi,” Alice said, “Weren’t you supposed to be searching the PEC?”

“Didn’t find any Axelavir,” Phi replied, “Sigma and Clover are giving it another look over, but I don’t expect them to find anything.”

“Oh… oh dear…” Luna murmured. Her head drooped over the computer screen she had been inspecting. “We haven’t found anything either. I… I don’t want to say it, but… I don’t think there’s any Axelavir in here. I don’t think there’s any in the entire facility.”

“Yeah,” Phi replied bluntly, “I think you’re right.”

Phi was about to ask again about Tenmyouji, noticing that the subject of the conversation had been entirely changed, but Luna answered her question before she needed to. “Tenmyouji was here when we arrived,” Luna explained, “but he left soon after. I don’t think he’s in a good way. When we got here, he was just leaning against the wall, staring at his bracelet… shaking. I can’t speak for him, but… I don’t think Tenmyouji really expected us to not betray him in the AB Game. I think he expected us to… kill him.”

“Really?” Phi exclaimed, “If so, why would he stay down here, not vote against us?”

“I don’t know,” Alice interjected, “but it was his own decision to make. If I had to guess, I’d say that he let his need to make sure Quark was safe overrule his rationality.”

Phi shook her head vigorously. “No, no, no. That doesn’t make sense. If that was correct, he’d still be here. Why would he leave now?”

Alice folded her arms over her chest and frowned. “Well, like Luna said, he isn’t thinking particularly clearly right now.”

“Be nice!” Luna admonished Alice. Then, Luna spoke to Phi again. “I think he trusts me more now. I really hope he trusts me more now. Now that we’ve proved we’ll keep our word, he’s okay with me looking after Quark. I want to do the best I can to live up to that.”

“Well, whatever his reasoning, it doesn’t matter,” Phi stated. Then she asked the next question on her mind. “Which way did he go? I was going to go ask him some stuff anyway, so maybe I can get him to explain what he was thinking.”

“I think he went back upstairs,” Alice said, “I’m not sure what for.”

“Are you going to go look for him?” Luna asked gently, “I… think that’s a good idea.”

“Alright,” Phi said neutrally, “See you later.”

Phi quickly headed towards the door back towards the elevator. As Phi went, Luna called out behind her.

“Phi! I don’t think it’s good for Tenmyouji to be alone right now. Please… please help him!”

 

Once Phi returned to the upper floor, she stepped out of the elevator and immediately headed right into the lounge. To her surprise, Tenmyouji was there, slouched over the bar’s counter and gazing sullenly towards the floor. As Phi approached, she noticed that Tenmyouji was nursing an empty – conspicuously dry – tumbler, sliding it languishingly from one hand to the other across the bar.

As Tenmyouji noticed Phi’s arrival, he raised his head. “Hmph. What are you doing here?”

“Just checking up on you,” Phi answered, “Apparently, you left the infirmary rather quickly. Luna and Alice were getting worried about you.”

“Let them,” Tenmyouji snapped. He turned to face Phi and glared at her suspiciously. “You came up here just to make sure I was okay? No. What are you _really_ doing here?”

“Fine.” Phi sighed: Tenmyouji had caught her fair and square. “I was curious about what happened between you and Clover earlier. It looked pretty violent. Are you sure you’re okay? She slammed you up against that window quite…”

“Cut it out!” Tenmyouji snapped, interrupting Phi, “Look. I tried telling Clover, and she didn’t believe me. Why on Earth should I try telling anyone else? Least of all you. I know you’re hiding something, so why should I tell you anything about me?”

“Tenmyouji. If I was up to something… well, I already had the opportunity, last AB Game,” Phi stated bluntly, “I didn’t.”

Sighing, Tenmyouji said, “I appreciate that. But that just brings you back to neutral: not with me, not against me. It’s not like we’re best friends or anything.”

Phi, frustrated, swept her gaze across the lounge. After racking her brain, she came up with one last idea to convince Tenmyouji to talk. “Tell you what, Tenmyouji,” she said. When she was certain she had Tenmyouji’s full attention, she continued. “Quid pro quo.”

“Huh?”

“Tell me what I want to know; I can get you something you want,” Phi explained. She went around to the far side of the bar and examined the cabinets. Following Tenmyouji’s instinctive gaze, she settled on one bottle in particular and read the label. “Single-Malt Scotch, huh? Want some?”

“The cabinets are locked up tight,” Tenmyouji said exasperatedly, “If they weren’t I’d have already had some.”

Phi examined the lock. She didn’t have her lock-picking kit on her after being kidnapped, but this one looked cheap enough that she really shouldn’t need it. Removing the black flower that she wore from her hair, she placed its pin suggestively into the hole of the lock. “As I said, Tenmyouji: you tell me what I want; I get you something you want.”

Tenmyouji replied instantly. “Sold!”

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_I've decided to post this chapter a week early to celebrate finishing Zero Time Dilemma. The good news is that, although I had to change some details in chapter 27 to avoid contradicting what that game said about Phi's past, my key idea about her past doesn't contradict anything in ZTD and I can even think of a sensible way to get from one to the other (I won't talk about it here to avoid spoilers). Empty Virtue is full steam ahead!_

_On other news, while I haven't had to use the "Not Zero Time Dilemma compliant" tag I was worried about, you'll see that some other tags - warning tags - have been added to the header. I also have to announce that in two weeks time, just before updating the next chapter, I'm going to upgrade the rating of Empty Virtue to M. That's because of the next chapter. You all know what's coming. If the criterion for rating T is something suitable for 13 year olds... well, I would not be comfortable with someone that young reading the next chapter. It's the only chapter that I think needs an M rating, but it has to happen, so M rating it is._


	32. TENMYOUJI END: An Old Man's Sorrow

“Three! Four! Five!”

At the end of Tenmyouji’s count, he and Phi raised their tumblers and clinked them politely together. Then, both of them vigorously drank the whisky with one swallow. They had started slower, three or five drams ago, with Tenmyouji in particular savouring the flavours and pointing out the qualities of the vintages of scotch he had chosen; it didn’t make that much difference to Phi, but it was useful small-talk to break the tension and get Tenmyouji at ease. Now, however, the whisky only served as punctuation for the beats of the conversation and Phi decided it was time to start asking the important questions.

“So, Tenmyouji. You promised me answers.”

Tenmyouji slowly looked away from his glass and met Phi’s eye. “Yeah. I did.” He trailed off.

Phi arched her eyebrow.

Tenmyouji held her stare for a few seconds, then flinched away. With twitching fingers, he refilled his tumbler. As Tenmyouji let go of the bottle, Phi did the same, intentionally maintaining the symbolic parity. Finally, Tenmyouji spoke.

“Fine.” In a lightning-fast spontaneous movement, Tenmyouji knocked back his scotch to steel his nerves. “Ask your damn questions.”

When Phi had fumblingly caught up with the drinking, she asked, “Okay. Back to Clover. What happened between you two in the treatment centre? It was like she was going to kill you. But you said you trusted her. What the hell did you say to her?”

“It’s a long story,” Tenmyouji replied.

“Try me. We’ve got plenty of time and plenty of alcohol.” Phi gestured at the bottle between them. It was only about a quarter full, but it was only the second one of an entire shelf of the cabinet.

Tenmyouji nodded. “Hmph. Listen up, kids.” He lazily scratched the side of his head. “So, it all started with the Nonary Game.”

“Well, of course it did,” Phi interjected, “All our problems started when we were kidnapped for this game.”

“No!” Tenmyouji snapped. He seemed slightly surprised by the forcefulness of his voice and shook his head apologetically. “Not this one. The other ones. You remember how Clover reacted when she woke up at the start of the game? Like she was in, like, an endlessly repeating nightmare. That’s ’cause this Nonary Game wasn’t her first. Not even her second. Clover’s been kidnapped for a Nonary Game three times.”

“You know this, how?” Phi asked, squinting at Tenmyouji.

Tenmyouji took another swig of scotch and Phi followed suit. “I wasn’t in her first Nonary Game,” Tenmyouji explained, “but I was in the second.”

Both of them refilled there glasses as they waited for that statement to sink in. Phi had so many questions she had to ask that they all felt like they were merging into one. Eventually, she just asked the first thing that came to mind.

“Wait. If you were in a Nonary Game together, why didn’t she recognise you at the start of the game? Don’t say you were in armour like K is. It wouldn’t suit you.” Phi giggled uncontrollably at the image that formed in her mind. Before her laughter could get out of hand, it was replaced by sudden realisation. Phi didn’t get why she hadn’t understood it sooner. “Oh! I get it! You told Clover this, and because she didn’t recognise you she thought you were lying.”

Tenmyouji sighed embarrassedly. “When you get to my age – if you get to my age – you’ll find out for yourself how quickly your body degrades. I looked much better back then.”

“I’ll take that with a pinch of salt,” Phi replied. In lieu of salt, she took a sip of whisky.

“Hmph. I’m telling the truth here, Phi. Why would I have trusted Clover with Quark if I didn’t know her?!”

Phi said, “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt for now. More Nonary Games, huh? Do you think they have any relation to this one?”

Tenmyouji was lost in thought for a long time. He scratched his chin continuously, broken up only by drinking from his tumbler. Finally, he answered. “It’s possible. Maybe I should tell you what happened in the other two games. Most of this is about the first game, which I only heard about second hand, but it’s still the best you’re gonna get.

“The Zero of the first Nonary Game was a man named Gentarou Hongou, the owner of a company called Cradle. He kidnapped eighteen children – nine pairs of siblings – and split them up into two groups of nine, forcing them to play through identical Nonary Games at the same time on opposite sides of the world. He was trying to study something called the Morpho…” Tenmyouji’s tongue tripped over the long word. “He was trying to learn about psychic powers. The idea was that if the brothers and sisters were placed into a stressful, life-threatening situation, they’d develop the ability to talk to each other with their minds and help each other solve the puzzles. Yeah, puzzles. Puzzles are really important, for some reason.” Tenmyouji trailed off.

“So… Clover has psychic powers?” Phi asked incredulously.

“Yeah. ‘Espers’: that’s what they’re called. When there’s a Nonary Game, you can be sure espers aren’t far away, and they cause nothing but trouble.” Tenmyouji’s eyes unfocused, like he was looking into the distant past. “That’s why I was angry in the pantry. That thing you did, with the safe? That sort of thing where everyone knows things they shouldn’t and won’t explain why? That’s exactly the sort of bullshit you get when espers are around.”

“I’m fairly sure I don’t have psychic powers,” Phi stated, “No-one’s feeding me any info. I work things out by myself.” Still, Tenmyouji’s claim rattled her. What had happened in the pantry? How had she opened the safe, when the puzzle had seemed completely broken? Phi tried to remember what had happened before she had found the password to the safe but her mind was hazy and the details disappeared into vagueness.

“Anyway,” Tenmyouji continued, “Espers might be involved here, but Hongou isn’t. He was arrested after the second Nonary Game.”

“After the second?” Phi asked, “Why not the first?”

“After the first game,” Tenmyouji said ruefully, “Cradle had enough clout to protect everyone involved. The second Nonary Game was all about kidnapping Hongou and getting revenge on him. Well… mostly. Of course, there was still some baffling stuff going on with esper abilities. As I said: Nonary Games mean espers and espers mean Nonary Games. They’re inseparable.”

Phi asked for clarification. “So, when you say, ‘revenge’, are you saying that Clover was behind that one? That she wanted to get back at the people who had kidnapped her before?”

“Right idea; wrong person. Clover and her brother weren’t behind it; they were kidnapped by the people who were, just like I was. Anyway, the second Nonary Game saw all but one of the actual players getting out, but in the process Hongou was caught on camera murdering all of the other bad guys from the first Nonary Game and also confessing to setting the first game up. After that, he didn’t have a chance.”

“Okay. The first Zero was just a player in the second game. Could the second Zero be involved here?” Phi asked, “Either as player or Zero Sr., I mean?”

Tenmyouji scowled. “No. No. They’re not.” His head bowed forward, limp with sadness. He lifted his tumbler, held it against his chin to steady it for a good long while, then drained it with a big gulp.

“How’re you that certain?” Phi said, slightly slurring that last word.

Tenmyouji looked away from Phi. His head swept gently left, first at the door back to the warehouse, and then even further still, until he was gazing mournfully at the wall and straight through to the infirmary beyond. “’Cause the Zero from the second Nonary Game… was Akane Kurashiki.”

 

Akane Kurashiki. Where had Phi heard that name before? It took only a few moments for Phi’s brain to make the connection. She fell back clumsily on her bar stool in shock. “You mean…”

“Yeah,” Tenmyouji spat, “The Zero from the second Nonary Game is dead. You happy?”

“No! No! You knew all along that she had _run her own Nonary Game_ , and you didn’t tell us?! The hell, Tenmyouji?!”

Phi’s outburst seemed to wake Tenmyouji up. A look of horror spread across his face as he realised what he had said. “No! I’ve told you too much!” he roared, leaping up from the bar, “Oh, God! Oh, God, no. Zero’s going to kill Quark. I’ve said too much and now Quark’s going to…!” Tenmyouji tried to walk over to the exit door, but he tripped almost immediately and was forced to catch himself on his bar stool. His arms shaking, Tenmyouji raised his head and glared Phi hatefully in the eye. “You did this to me,” he slurred, “You drugged me! What did you put in the drink? Tell me!” Tenmyouji leaned forward unsteadily until his face was right against Phi’s. “Tell me!”

“Tenmyouji,” Phi said, drawing backwards slightly, “You’re… you’re…” Phi had to force the word out. “You’re drunk.”

“No!” Tenmyouji swung his arm towards Phi on a wild uncontrolled trajectory.

Normally Phi would have dodged such a clumsy attack, but for some reason this time she couldn’t; Tenmyouji’s forearm collided with the side of Phi’s head and she spun off her seat and onto the floor. She scrambled away across the floor until she had room to stand. She did so and turned to face Tenmyouji.

He was still standing where he had been, swaying lethargically as he tried to keep himself upright. He glared at Phi, his eyes empty and hopeless. “Drunk. Drugged. Doesn’t matter. I told you too much about Akane. That was one of the things Zero ordered me not to tell anyone.” Tenmyouji gazed regretfully away from Phi. “He told me that if I came here… I’d get to see Akane again. That’s how the bastard got me and Quark here. He promised me Akane. And now she’s dead.”

“‘Get to see Akane’? What: did you also want to get revenge for the previous game?”

“No!” Tenmyouji roared, “It’s not like that! Learn to read the damn atmosphere, Phi.” His strength eroded and, unable to support himself any longer, Tenmyouji leaned gracelessly against the bar. “You know what, Phi?” He picked up her glass, looked at it for a few seconds, then disdainfully dropped it to the floor where it shattered, shards scattering around. “Just go away. I don’t want you to see me like this. I don’t want anyone to see me like this. Just go!”

Phi couldn’t think of anything else to do but obey. Without a word she turned and limped away. As she passed through the exit door, she heard the last thing Tenmyouji said, mumbled in her general direction.

“I loved her, Goddamnit. I loved her.”

 

Phi staggered down the corridor towards the elevator shaft. When she got there, it took her a few attempts to press the button; as the elevator doors opened she collapsed against the back wall. Phi was drunker than she thought she had been.

When she had started drinking, it had been just a tool to get Tenmyouji to open up. It had succeeded. Phi had found out everything she wanted to know, and more. Still, success left a queasy feeling in her stomach. They’d both drunk so much: Phi’s intelligence had been compromised to the point where she couldn’t use anything she had learned.

Worse yet, what about Quark? If Tenmyouji was telling the truth, Phi had pushed too far and now Quark’s life was in danger. Zero Sr. would punish Tenmyouji by killing Quark.

Phi stepped out onto the lower floor and stared at each of the three Chromatic Doors. Which way should she go? With her mind slowed it took Phi far longer than it should to come to a decision. Her first thought was that she should go through the green door to the treatment centre and try to protect Quark. As she thought this she found herself leaning imperceptibly to the left until she suddenly lost her balance. No. She was in no state to help Quark.

Perhaps she should go through the red door? She could go to the pantry and get some water. Would that calm her stomach and bring clarity back to her mind? No. There would be time for that later.

So, without much reason for it, Phi found herself stumbling through the blue Chromatic Door. She walked all the way back to the pressure exchange chamber, where Sigma and Cover should still be – futilely, probably – searching for Axelavir. Maybe she could discuss with Clover what Tenmyouji had told her.

There she was. As Phi stepped towards the door Clover ran out. She skidded to a halt as she saw Phi and started speaking hyperenergetically.

“OhheyPhiwhat’supyoulookweirdissomethingwrongwhat’sthatIcansmellisthatwhiskywhere’dyoufinditcanIhavesomenevermindifyou'regonnabelikethatI’lljustgoandlookforAliceseeyalaterbye!”

Phi couldn’t understand a word Clover had said. Her ears were pounding. Clover sprinted off into the distance faster than Phi had ever seen anyone run before. Phi ignored her and continued walking into the PEC.

As she walked through the door, Phi heard a high pitched whine as the elevator within the room rose to the floor she was on. Sigma stepped off it. As he saw Phi, his head tilted to one side with concern. Then he began to speak, as fast if not faster than Clover had.

“PhiwheredidClovergoPhicanyouhearmeuhPhiCloverwentoutthatwaythatdoorrightgotitthanksalotyoulookprettytiredgetsomerestalright!”

“Sigma…” Phi tried to reply. It was too late.

As she said that, Sigma vanished into thin air.

Phi didn’t understand what was going on. She tried to concentrate, but coherent thoughts eluded her. Confused, but unable to act against her confusion, Phi spun unsteadily around and walked back the way she came. She didn’t see anyone all the way back to the blue Chromatic Door. Her momentum as she walked through carried her straight into the elevator box, still open after she had come down. As she fell in her shoulder brushed against the control panel and Phi found herself riding the elevator back up to the upper floor.

As she arrived, Phi tried to decide what to do. Perhaps Tenmyouji would have calmed down by now. Phi couldn’t quite remember what she had said that had made him so angry. She took the first right and headed into the lounge.

Tenmyouji wasn’t there.

The stools they had sat on were still right by the bar where they had left them. The shards of glass were still on the floor where Tenmyouji had dropped Phi’s glass. But Tenmyouji wasn’t there, and neither was his glass or the bottle of scotch they had been drinking from.

Phi staggered across the lounge, taking exaggerated over-precise steps to avoid stepping in any of the broken glass. She left on the other side and continued towards the warehouse.

The warehouse was empty. There was no sign anyone had ever been there. But as Phi stepped towards the middle of the room she heard a voice crying out pitifully in the distance, beyond the yellow door.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to… Zero Sr., I beg you…”

It was Tenmyouji. Phi ran towards the yellow door. If Tenmyouji was actually talking to Zero Sr. then this was a golden opportunity.

“Please! Please don’t hurt Quark. I’ll do anything.”

Tenmyouji paused as if listening to someone, but Phi couldn’t hear the reply.

“I understand. If that’s what I have to do to keep Quark safe…” Tenmyouji’s voice was muted and stoic. “I have to die.”

Phi felt a burst of energy flow through her on hearing those words. She had to get there in time. She sprinted forward, no longer caring about her drunken clumsiness; she didn’t wait for the yellow door to fully open but instead ran straight into it as it rose and let the ricochet carry her under. With such speed and recklessness, she made it to the infirmary as quickly as she possibly could.

She was too late.

What she saw there sobered her instantly.

 

Tenmyouji lay face first on the bed beside the ADAM. His right arm, spilling off the side of the bed and towards the floor, held a scalpel. Blood was streaming from a deep cut in his throat and seeping into the mattress.

With the last of his strength, Tenmyouji reacted to Phi’s arrival. He turned his face slightly towards her. His eyes were unfocused for a second but then they recognised her. Tenmyouji opened his mouth and used the last of his breath to speak.

“Damn you, Phi.”

Tenmyouji’s voice fell silent. His eyes closed and his head fell against the bloodstained mattress. The scalpel fell from his hand.

Tenmyouji was dead. Zero Sr. had vanished into thin air.

Phi froze. Guilt and shock paralyzed her. Tenmyouji was right. This was all her fault. If she hadn’t interrogated Tenmyouji, he’d still be alive right now. She’d gotten him drunk with a complete malicious purpose, just for the information he knew and had every good reason not to tell her. That hadn’t been the only mistake she’d made, either. If she hadn’t betrayed him in the first Ambidex Game, maybe he’d be alive now, too. And if Phi had only run faster, she could have at least caught Zero Sr. and avenged Tenmyouji. Phi had made so many mistakes.

Phi slumped into the seat by the infirmary desk, all energy having fled her. It was hopeless. Everything was hopeless. It was all hopeless because of her. All she had succeeded in doing was endangering Quark and killing Tenmyouji. If Phi hadn’t been there, they would have had the chance to survive.

Phi made a decision.

If Phi wasn’t there, the other players would be free of her constant mistakes. If Phi wasn’t there, that would be the best opportunity for the rest of the players to get out alive. Phi had to take it.

Phi leaned down and picked up the scalpel that Tenmyouji had dropped. She flipped it over, observing her miserable reflection on each side of the blade. How best to use it? Phi settled on slitting her wrists. That was the old Roman way. That was how the Romans regained their honour when they had betrayed someone as completely and evilly as Phi had betrayed Tenmyouji.

 

The last thing Phi felt, as she went to a merciful sleep, was Clover taking the scalpel from her cold still hands.

 

**TENMYOUJI - END**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_That was a hard chapter to write, and an even harder one to post. There's some tough themes here, and I'm not sure how to talk about it with the respect it deserves, so all I'll say is this: If you feel similar sorts of intrusive thoughts and pressures to the ones I've portrayed here, don't do what they are saying. Those thoughts are not real; just because Radical-6 doesn't exist in the real world doesn't mean that you brain doesn't have a million other ways of sabotaging itself out of your control. Get help._

_Congrats on reaching your first route ending. Cue the ending music!  
This was the only route where I was able to turn taking the same person through both sets of Chromatic Doors into that character's route (Luna then Luna gives Dio's route, while Alice and Phi are both solos after the cyan door) so I made sure to make use of it. It was clear that this route would have to explain how the mass suicide started. I think I was quite lucky there, since I found Phi's and Tenmyouji's interactions led them quite naturally to that conclusion. Moreover, when Sigma see everyone dead in the game it's quite clear that Tenmyouji and Phi were first in, taking the bed and the chair._

_One thing that might not be clear here is the Zero that Tenmyouji is talking too. Obviously, it's not Sigma. I'm taking a leap of logic and claiming that it was a Radical-6 induced hallucination. I know Radical-6 isn't stated to have that symptom in-game, but it makes sense. The original version of this chapter had Tenmyouji commit suicide because he was depressed and drunk, but I felt that the new version does a lot more justice to his character. I want to explain this in-story at some point, but I'm not sure where I'll be able to do it._

_So, now that we've reached the end of the route, we have to restart somewhere else. We have two choices:_  
_1) Go back to choice of Chromatic Door after allying with Luna (chapter 25) and go through the green door with Clover._  
_2) Go all the way back to the first choice of Chromatic Door (chapter 2) and go through the cyan door with Alice._  
_Get voting, everyone!_


	33. Cat-purr Three

_There was a tie in the vote, so I'm going to go with the option that was voted for first (sorry, Psiidmon). Thus, this cat-purr follows cat-purr 2: this time, we take Al-hiss through the nyan Chro-cat-ic cat-flap._

* * *

“Alice, the cyan door!” It was strange, but Phi somehow knew that this was the right choice. The moment Phi finished saying that she was in motion, leading Sigma right and towards the cyan door.

Alice reacted admirably swiftly, waiting only to wave Clover goodbye and direct her towards the magenta door before joining Phi and Sigma by the cyan door. The three of them piled through into the holding area behind the door and watched as the other players made their way to their respective doors.

With the choice made for them, the other six players fell into line. Dio, bearing a gleeful grin, grabbed Luna’s elbow and dragged her towards the yellow door while Quark followed them stoically. Tenmyouji followed K and Clover through magenta door. The cyan door stayed open just long enough for Phi to confirm that everyone had made it inside their respective rooms; as it closed, Phi felt a profound sense of relief.

Alice sighed haughtily. “That was pretty decisive, Phi, but I’d have preferred it if you’d given us a bit more warning. Or if you’d chosen Option A, like everyone but Dio wanted.”

Phi was about to respond, but Sigma got there first. “Would you have rathered we were stuck there arguing until the doors closed? Phi’s… brusque, yeah, but I think she did the right thing.”

Phi decided not to challenge that somewhat-qualified praise, and waited for them to be allowed onwards. Sensors whirled around the room, scanning the three people trapped inside. They watched the sensors rise for an agonising amount of time until finally they were bathed in a pale blue glow and the secondary door, bearing a holographic plaque reading ‘Crew Quarters’, opened.

 

They were released into a tight, gloomy corridor, with four doors leading off the corridor, two doors on each side, and another door at the far end. That last door was clearly marked as the most important; it was just as obviously barred to them at present, with a prominent mechanism to the right of it displaying ‘LOCK’ in obstinate digital letters just above a keyhole. Phi examined the other four doors instead. While the one immediately to the right of the entrance was locked, with a pair of handcuffs firmly attaching the handwheel to a railing beside the door, the other three doors were unlocked.

Alice started giving orders the moment she had taken stock of the situation. Phi figured she was used to getting her own way. “Three doors open, three of us. We should search one each, and then meet back here in a couple of minutes to share our findings. Sigma, you take that room,” Alice commanded, pointing at the door to their immediate left, labelled ‘01’, “Phi, you search that one,” – pointing at the room diagonally opposite from Sigma, labelled ‘04’ – “and I’ll take room ‘02’.”

Since Alice clearly wasn’t going to take any argument, and it was a good plan in any case, they split up. Phi opened her door to find a cramped box of a room. Closer examination of one of the walls found a compartment from which a small bed – just a thin mattress, really – could be extracted. This was some sort of bedroom, but it was far too uncomfortable to be a guest bedroom; Phi guessed that it was used by a labourer, or some other blue-collar worker, who would probably have worked in the warehouse they had just left. As Phi dropped the mattress down into sleeping position, she noticed an outline of a person inscribed in chalk on the surface, and that the area where the left ankle of such a person would be was torn out of the fabric. This was clearly a clue, but without any other information to extrapolate from, Phi was stumped, and uninclined to waste time on it. She moved on.

Next to the bed was a small, glass-topped table protruding from the wall. Phi noticed a small piece of metal glistening at her from atop the surface of the glass; Phi picked it up and ran her finger along it, pricking the tip of her finger on what seemed to be a tiny key head. Unfortunately, this key didn’t have a handle, so it would be impossible to turn if it was placed in a lock. Phi noticed that the transparent surface of the table let her see into a tray located in a thin compartment just below the surface, but there was nothing in there. Above the table was a grating in the wall through to an unlit area between the rooms. Strangely, rather than being a full grid of holes, there was instead a pattern of holes and solid wall, similar to a bar code. Phi made a note of this then moved on.

Opposite the table was a cabinet. The lock on it was rather unusual. There was a number pad with nine buttons in a square above it, but rather than each button being labelled with a different number, each button instead had a ‘+’ on it, while each column and row was headed by a number: ‘1’, ’2’ and ‘3’ for the rows, and ‘0’, ‘3’ and ‘6’ for the columns. Assuming the each button put in the number that was the sum of the row and the column, that meant that the nine buttons acted just like a normal number grid. Phi decided to make a note of that. Zero: is fully prepared to obfuscate the controls of something just to waste time.

To the left of the cabinet was a poster. The parts of the poster that Phi could see depicted a woman standing by the seaside, but most of it was obscured by a thin layer of silver. When Phi scratched it with her fingernail some of the silver came off, just like on a scratch card, but not enough of it to justify trying to scratch it off now. She would need a coin or some other implement to scratch it away fast enough.

Finally, to the left of the poster was a telephone. Though she didn’t expect it to work, Phi picked up the handset and dialled ‘911’. It didn’t connect. Then Phi tried the numbers of some of her associates in Las Vegas. They also didn’t work. Phi sighed, but though she was disappointed she wasn’t particularly surprised. It would be insane for Zero to kidnap them and then give them a way to contact the outside world. These phones had been disconnected, or at least restricted to internal calls.

 

With the room completely searched, Phi rejoined Sigma and Alice in the corridor. All three of their rooms were similar: a bed folding out of the wall with a silhouette of a man and a piece ripped out, a desk with a sliding tray underneath, a locked cabinet and a phone incapable of making outside calls. The three of them compared the items they had found. When Phi held out the head of a key she found, Alice’s eyes locked on it curiously.

“Wait, what’s that? Hold it out again so I can look at it more closely,” she said imperiously.

As Phi presented the metal cylinder again, Alice plucked it from her hand. Before Phi could react, Alice revealed a similarly shaped piece of metal, this time with three interlocking circles at the end. Alice compared them intensely. Eventually, she slotted them together, and Phi saw that Alice had made a full key out of the two parts.

“Okay, that’s what Phi and I found,” Alice said, “What did you find, Sigma?”

Sigma didn’t respond. Phi saw that he was clutching a book to his chest, and shivering gently but excitedly as he held it even tighter. A tortuous and manic grin gradually distorted his face. Just as Phi became convinced that his smile was about to explode off his face, Sigma started giggling.

“I’m sorry… I ca’t hold it in for a meowment longer…” Then Sigma burst forth with a colourful, pun-laden spiel, “I was trying to seek a way meowt through room one when I meownd this purrecious book about ‘Schrodinger’s Cat’. The purrfect litter cat pictures on the front were so cu-at that I was kitten with them instantly. But when I clawed it o-paw-n it wasn’t meowt cats at all! It was just all science and catemathics. That was so infelicitous of it!”

Alice and Phi glanced at each other.

“I don’t suppose you’d know how to translate that?” Alice asked.

“Nope.”

Sigma catinued – oh god, now she’d started – but he seemed close to burning himself out. “I’m sorry. I de-claw-re, I’m not doing this on purr-puss. It’s not catagious at all. Whenever I see a cat I start feline twitchy and I just have to say something k-witty!”

Phi sighed. “That wasn’t witty. That wasn’t even ‘k-witty’. That was inane.”

Alice held onto Sigma’s elbow and manoeuvred him back to the room he had searched. “Maybe it’s for the best if you put that book down now, Sigma. Actually, I don’t think it will play any part in the puzzle. Well, if it does, one of us – someone other than you – can pick it up instead so this doesn’t happen again.” Alice seemed completely confident in her ability to manage her ridiculously hyperactive teammate.

Sigma let himself be led away. “I can leave it on top the safe,” he said mournfully. Then he perked up. “Oh, wait! That was in there as well. There was a safe like the one that had the key that let us out of the elevator. I think we need to unlock it to get out of here.”

 

Once Sigma was divested of his book, Alice turned to the sole place the key that she had put together could possibly be used. With one quick twist of her wrist, the handcuffs fell away from the door of room ‘03’. The three of them explored this final room together. It had essentially the same layout as the other three rooms: bed, table, cabinet, phone. This time, however, the cabinet door opened easily. Phi picked up the item inside. It was a roll of aluminium foil; when she carefully unrolled it she found that the full length of the foil was nearly as tall as she was. There were darker lines running across the sheet of foil, dividing it into four rectangles. In each rectangle, darker areas formed strange patterns in the surface.

Sigma tapped Phi on the shoulder. “Hey, you’re probably supposed to use this to cut it up,” he said, handing her a box-cutter he’d taken from the table.

Phi did so, separating the four rectangles across the floor so that all could be seen clearly. Three of them had collections of vertical lines on them. Phi was just about to examine the fourth piece when Sigma picked it up, a glint of recognition in his non-artificial eye.

“Huh? This looks sort of like something I saw in room one…” Sigma turned the foil over so that Phi and Alice could see. Unlike the other three, the black markings on this one took the form of parts of geometrical shape.

Sigma led them back to room one and stood in front of the table in that room, still holding the piece of foil. Phi deliberately made sure to stand right in front of where Sigma had left the _Schrodinger’s Cat_ book, to prevent Sigma from getting his hands on it and starting to pun again. After comparing the foil and the table thoroughly, Sigma pulled the tray out from underneath the glass surface, laid the foil rectangle carefully on top, then slid both foil and tray back in. He beckoned Phi and Alice closer.

“See!” he exclaimed, “I was right. They did match.”

Peering over Sigma’s shoulder, Phi saw that where the grating above the table had looked like a bar code in her own room and in room three, here there were only four holes with various geometric shapes. Looking down at the foil, Phi could see that the dark areas of the wall were reflected faintly by the foil, completing the shapes already marked on the foil. Now, the complete image showed a circle, a five-pointed star, a square and a triangle.

Then Sigma sighed. “Okay, I’m not sure how we use that. It doesn’t match any of the cabinet locks or anything.”

Phi patted him on the back. “Don’t worry, it was a clever idea. Maybe the other sheets of foil will work in the other room with the same trick, and we’ll get more clues.”

 

Trying the same trick in room three – with their second choice of foil rectangle, the first just produced gibberish – revealed a message reading ‘LOCKER’. Which wasn’t very useful, since the locker behind them was already open and empty: indeed, it was the locker they’d gotten the foil from in the first place. Still, it was confirmation that Sigma’s idea would keep working, so they took the remaining two sheets of foil to room four: the room Phi had searched first. There, placing the foil in the tray caused the lines to form the numbers ‘3472’. As Alice took the remaining piece of foil to room two, Phi examined the revealed number: she guessed that this was the code to unlock the cabinet in room four.

As Phi turned around she saw Sigma standing enraptured in front of the poster of the woman, still covered by a silver layer. Phi tried to get his attention, but Sigma utterly failed to react to her; instead, his face was drawn, as if by a warped and unholy version of gravity, towards the image.

“The gods! I never thought I’d see one…” Sigma chanted reverently.

Phi was taken aback. “Uh… what?”

Sigma looked over to her, still gesturing grandly towards the poster that had captivated him. “You have to… scratch the silver parts off with a coin so you can see the naughty stuff. It’s the ultimate in interactive poster technology! What teenage boy doesn’t dream of something like this? The excitement! The anticipation! And finally, the reveal!”

Ugh. It seemed that Sigma was playing his ‘dirty old man’ act for all that it was worth. Well, you couldn’t blame him. Men that age were usually set in their ways: immutable.

“You look… pretty excited,” Phi said morosely, while desperately hoping Sigma wouldn’t do anything… unforgivable.

Sigma stopped listening again. Phi returned to what she had originally intended to do before being… distracted: open up the locker. Despite the unusual setup of the number pad, Phi soon had it unlocked, and was able to look inside. On the floor of the cabinet was a weatherworn brown wallet. Phi opened it up, but there was only a single coin inside. It didn’t take long for Phi to realise what the coin was intended for. A coin could easily be used to scratch the silver layer off Sigma’s precious poster. Even knowing that it was part of the puzzle, Phi hesitated to use the coin. She feared Sigma’s inevitably exuberant reaction to finding something that he could use to uncover the poster. Fighting her trepidation, Phi unclenched her hand, presenting the coin nervously in Sigma’s direction.

Sigma pounced. Snatching the coin gleefully out of her palm, he went to work on the poster. His hand swept across the silver layer at a frantic, almost-superhuman speed. Phi tried to hide from the disturbing sight behind her hands, but it was only a couple of seconds before Sigma was finished, standing ‘proudly’ in front of his ‘accomplishment’.

Sigma panted heavily. “I did it! Just look upon her glory!” After a couple more minutes of embarrassing behaviour, Sigma eventually calmed down. “Don’t look at me like that, Phi,” Sigma mumbled sheepishly, “See, there were clues here as well. Just look at her arms and legs.”

Phi did so. On the limbs of the woman that Sigma had unveiled were lightly coloured symbols with numbers in them: a ‘6’ in a star on the upper right arm, a ‘1’ in a circle on the left arm, an ‘8’ in a square just above the left knee and a nine in a triangle on the lower right leg. “Those look like the shapes from the foil in room one,” Phi said, “We should take the poster with us and compare them.”

Sigma leapt across and hugged her gratefully. “You mean… I can keep it? You’re the best, Phi!”

“Ugh.”

 

Phi and Sigma returned to room one, Sigma still holding tightly to his poster. When they arrived at the table, still containing the symbol-displaying foil, Sigma stuck the poster up on the wall above it, making sure not to obstruct the parts of the wall that were being reflected in the foil. As Phi had expected, the symbols of the poster matched those of the foil: circle, five-pointed star, square, triangle.

“That would make the code ‘1689’,” Phi suggested. She turned around to type it into the button pad on the cabinet, but there was no response when she pressed the buttons. It was then that Phi noticed the difference between this cabinet and the one she’d opened in room four: this one had a keyhole above the number pad. “Damnit,” she exclaimed, “Looks like we can’t use this until we find another key.”

It was then that Alice barged in, a frustrated look on her face. “Why the hell did you two just wander off like that?” she asked haughtily, “We’re supposed to work together to solve this puzzle. Instead you just disappeared and left me to sort this out by myself.”

“Hey, we were…” Phi started to answer back.

“Never mind,” Alice interrupted, “I should tell you what I found. I was able to open the locker in room two and found a cassette tape inside, sort of like the ones used in old fashioned answer machines. I tried putting it in the phone in room four, and then in room two – which is when I found out you had wandered off – but their answer machines wouldn’t open. I was able to put it in the cassette bay of the phone in room three, but for some reason it wouldn’t let me listen to it. It just said ‘This functionality is disabled’ or something like that.”

“Sometimes answering machines can be accessed by calling the phone in question from somewhere,” Phi suggested.

“Yes, I knew that,” Alice said, “That’s why I came in here: to try and use this phone to call the one in room three.”

“Let’s do this, then!” Sigma exclaimed. He lifted the phone’s handset to his ear and ran his hand along the buttons. “Looks like these buttons” – he pointed at the row of buttons above the display, which were numbered ‘1’ to ‘4’ – “are used to call the internal lines. I’ll try it.” Sigma’s finger pressed down the button for internal line number ‘3’. Phi and Alice watched as Sigma listened. “What?!” Sigma said, slamming down the headset, “It says there’s no number associated with that button. Why can’t I call room three?”

“No idea,” Phi replied, “Maybe you should try some of the other internal lines, see if they work.”

This time Sigma pressed the button marked ‘2’. Phi waited for him to put the handset down, but this time he kept it firmly against his ear. “It’s still ringing…” Sigma muttered.

Phi realised that she could faintly hear ringing coming from down the corridor. It must have been coming from one of the other phones: the phone in room two that Sigma was ringing. Alice strode out of the room; Phi heard the ringing stop as Alice received the call.

“Hey Alice, did that do anything?” Sigma asked into the mouthpiece.

Phi couldn’t hear Alice’s reply, but she was able to see Sigma’s satisfied expression as he listened to Alice explanation of what she’d found. Eventually, he placed the handset back down and turned to Phi. “I’m gonna try calling room four now. You wanna head over there and answer it?”

Phi did so, arriving just in time to hear the phone start to ring. She picked up the handset and spoke, “So, Sigma, what am I looking for?”

She heard Sigma’s voice being projected into her ear by the speaker. “Hey, Phi. Alice said she saw something on the phone display when I called her. You don’t see something similar, do you?”

Now that Sigma mentioned it, the screen had changed. She read it out to Sigma. “Oh, right! It reads ‘Agricola, agricola, nine, two’.”

Sigma chortled. “How exactly did they fit an entire German-style farming simulation board-game onto the display?”

Phi was glad Sigma couldn’t see how red her cheeks had gone with embarrassment. “Whoops. I meant ‘Asterisk’.” She slammed the phone down before Sigma could comment any further.

Phi and Alice reunited with Sigma in room one, just as he started to dial another number. “‘2592’,” he muttered, pressing each button in turn on the main number pad. After a pause, he spoke. “Goddamnit, that cassette tape’s just a mocking message from Zero.” Phi was glad that Sigma didn’t relay the message to them: she’s had as much of that annoying little rodent as she could handle. Still, Sigma muttered one little thing, presumably from Zero’s spiel. “‘Look at the left screen above the phone’?” Sigma paused as he glanced at the mentioned screen. “Oh! I get it: the number from the phone display’s reflected in it like a mirror. Let’s see, it reads: ‘2652’.”

The moment he had the answer he slammed down the receiver, not wanting to listen to Zero any longer. Finally, he tapped this new number – 2652 – into the number pad. Rather than calling a phone, this number caused the cassette bay of the phone to spring open. Grinning with his success, Sigma claimed a small, key-like pin from the bay. To Phi, it was obvious where it had to be used. It seemed like they had everything they needed to open the last cabinet.

 

Once the pin was placed in the keyhole of the cabinet, the number pad sprung to life with a reassuring buzz. Phi quickly entered the number – 1689 – that she and Sigma had found by comparing the poster to the sheet of foil in room one.

The lights on the number pad flashed red. The cabinet didn’t open.

“What the hell?!” Phi exclaimed. Then, she started to think of ways in which they could have gone wrong. They had to have made some mistake somewhere, and fixing it would be much more effective than merely hating the puzzle for having tricked her. “We need to have another look at that poster,” she said.

“Wait. What’s going on here?” Alice asked.

As Sigma explained it to Alice, Phi returned to studying the poster and the piece of foil below it. There must have been something that she had missed, some little thing that would change the numbers from what she had thought they were. She was certain that all concealment had been removed from the poster: Sigma’s frenzied scratching would have taken care of that. She could clearly see all of the symbols clearly, matching the ones on the foil… wait! Phi worked it out at the exact same moment as Alice spoke up.

“Those symbols are upside down,” Alice stated.

She was right. Where the five-pointed star on the foil had the central point facing upwards, the similar symbol on the poster was pointing downwards. The same was true of the triangle. That meant that what Phi had taken to be a ‘6’ was actually a ‘9’ and vice versa. The correct number was actually ‘1986’.

Finally, Phi was able to enter the number and open up the cabinet. Inside was a screen, glowing with a warm, successful shade of green. Just like the screen in the elevator puzzle, there was a three-by-three grid of symbols on it. Sigma, with his photographic memory, quickly memorised the safe password. Phi was just about to close the cabinet door when Sigma stopped her.

“Wait!” he shouted, “Do you remember how, in the puzzle earlier, we got a second password by putting in another memory card?”

Phi nodded, curiously.

Alice also understood what Sigma was saying. “Yes. That worked in the puzzle in my AB Room.”

“I want to see if we can get something similar here,” Sigma continued. He then pointed at a cable running from the screen to the door of the locker. “See? I don’t think that number pad just unlocks the door. I think it controls which password appears on this screen as well.”

“So, do you have any idea how to change the password on the screen?” Phi asked.

Sigma scrunched up his face in concentration. He held there for a couple of minutes, but then he nodded excitedly. “Oh! I’ve got it! This puzzle was all about reflection, right? Reflection in the foil, symmetrical rooms, the reflection of the room three phone number in the mirrors above it giving the actual solution. So if we reflect the first password, maybe we’ll get another password?”

“It’s worth trying,” Phi replied. She visualised the password and the process of reflecting it in her head. “If you flip it horizontally, you get… no, that doesn’t work. Try flipping it vertically instead: 1689… no, we’ve tried that already. Wait! If you do both, you get a rotation. Try 9861.”

It was right. Soon, Sigma had memorised the blue-backed safe password as well.

 

Sigma opened up the safe with that password first, and handed the gold file he found inside to Phi. She opened it up and read one of the articles inside.

‘Sigma’s Cat Problem: Sigma has a strange verbal (and possible psychological) tic which causes him to make cat puns whenever he talks about cats. The cause of this behaviour seems to be an experience he had as a child.’

That was a strange thing to make a record of. According to the file, the cause of Sigma’s incessant cat puns was a ‘curse’ that had been placed on him by a magical black cat. Phi didn’t believe it. It was obviously an attempt by Zero to mock them. Still, it was strange that Zero had found out about Sigma’s need to make cat puns. Sure, Zero would have researched all of his victims, but it would take quite a deep and thorough search to find information that specific.

“Find anything interesting, Phi?” Sigma asked as he opened the safe once again, this time with the main password.

Phi clamped the file shut. “No, nothing.” There was no need to give Sigma any ideas.

The three of them looked at the items inside the safe. The first thing Sigma took out and handed to her looked like a map; Phi traced the outline of what looked like the warehouse with her finger and it seemed to match the actual walls of the warehouse, including six boxes that had to represent the AB rooms.

“It says ‘Floor A’,” Alice said, pointing out the label in the corner.

“We can look at it more later,” Phi replied, curious to examine some of the other items in the safe, “Why don’t we get all of it out before we start going through it?”

Sigma took a pair of cards out of the safe and handed one to Phi and the other to Alice. They were shining silver with a logo of a sun and the words ‘Ambidex Room’ printed on them in bold white text. “Now we can get into to AB rooms,” he explained, “But how are we supposed to get back to the warehouse? That’s where the AB rooms are! I’d wanna go back the way we came, but that door’s locked.”

In response to Sigma’s question, Phi pointed out another sheet of paper in the safe.

Sigma picked it up and read it. “It looks like some more rules for the Nonary Game. It goes, ‘Hare…’” Here Sigma chuckled slightly, though Phi didn’t get what the joke was. “‘… are a few more rules for you! Once you’ve opened a door, you can hop through it as much as you like… But! But but but, you have to escape before you can take advantage of this Free Rein Rule!” Sigma did an unnervingly good impression of Zero’s voice. Phi guessed that he was able to imitate it so well, because he’d just listened closely to it through the phone.

Finally, Sigma handed a key to Alice. It was clearly the key that would open up the exit door at the far end of the corridor. Alice marched away down the corridor, intent on opening up the door and escaping.

Phi was about to join her, when Sigma stopped her. His hand clutched the _Schrodinger’s Cat_ book – Phi realised belatedly that Sigma had left it beside the safe – and he was looking at her intently, his sole remaining real eye doing a good impression of puppy dog eyes. No, pussy cat eyes.

“Hey Phi.” Sigma was practically purring by now. “You know stuff and are really claw-ver. Purrlease, cat you tail me what’s up with the catemathics in this purrecious…”

 

When she was asked later, Phi would reply that she acted in self-defence. She clamped her hand firmly over Sigma’s mouth, smacked the book from his hand with a carefully aimed blow, then dragged him from the room.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the whole big ball of yarn, here's a cat-flap to the the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Yay cat puns!_


	34. Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma

Phi followed Alice out of the crew quarters, still dragging Sigma – who was still babbling about cats through her firmly clamped hand. Since she had to stride backwards in order to maintain her control over Sigma, Phi couldn’t see down the narrow corridor they were walking through, having to guide herself by following the sound of Alice’s footsteps. It was difficult to do so, because the corridor turned sharply to the left several times, but eventually Alice’s footsteps stopped; they had reached the end.

Once Phi came to a standstill, Sigma was finally able to get his feet back underneath him and wriggled free of her grasp. “Damnit, Phi, I’m done now. Let me go already!”

Phi turned around to see Alice and the other six players standing and staring bemusedly at them. Phi sighed. “Yeah… don’t ask,” she said.

Now that she no longer needed to struggle with Sigma, Phi was able to examine the room at the end of the corridor. The room was an atrium, into which all nine players fitted comfortably, with a door for an elevator on the far side, marked as such by a single button pointing down. Someone – presumably Dio as he was closest to the door – had already pressed the button, and Phi could hear the whir of the elevator’s rise. As they waited for the elevator to arrive, the three teams compared notes; all three had explored a room – the lounge for K, Clover and Tenmyouji; the infirmary for Dio, Quark and Luna – and found keycards for the Ambidex Rooms as well as a map which clearly showed how the three teams would reunite at this point. Before they could say any more, however, the elevator arrived.

“There’s plenty of time to discuss more of that after we check out this elevator,” Phi stated, leading the way.

The nine of them rode the elevator down in nervous silence, awkwardly trying to maintain their personal spaces in the uncomfortably small box. As the doors opened, they spilled out onto the lower floor. They entered into a small room about the same size as the one on the upper floor, with three doors – other than the elevator door – leading in different directions. It was immediately clear that these were Chromatic Doors: they radiated their intense colours – green, blue and red – into the room, and they were accompanied by the same locks as the Chromatic Doors in the warehouse.

Sigma insisted on ramming a door anyway. “Yeah, won’t budge,” he muttered as he rebounded.

Alice was fidgeting with her bracelet. “Looks like my guess was right… the countdown has changed.”

Phi pressed the buttons on the side of her bracelet, confirming Alice’s statement: the display was now counting down from well over two hours.

“Looks like we don’t have a choice, then. We gotta head back,” Tenmyouji said. Phi recalled the supplementary rules they’d found in the crew quarters safe. They had said that now all the puzzles were solved all the doors would open for them. She realised that the prominent inclusion of this statement in the rules wasn’t just a hint; they did in fact have to return to the warehouse.

 

They retraced their steps, back up the elevator and down the corridor. Most of the group headed through the first door on the right, heading back to the warehouse through what K called the lounge; it was clearly the shortest route back to where they wanted to be. However, Phi saw Clover and Alice sneaking away down the corridor rather than following the others through the lounge. Phi tailed them curiously to the crew quarters, hanging back just long enough to ensure that she wouldn’t be caught if they checked for someone following behind them.

When Phi entered the crew quarters, all the doors were already closed, but Phi could hear Alice’s and Clover’s whispered voices through room two’s door. Even as Phi leaned in, placing her ear right against the metal of the door, she could only hear faint hints of their conversation. She couldn’t risk opening the door, even just a crack, as that would alert Alice and Clover to the fact that she was eavesdropping on them.

“Crew quarters, huh?” That was Clover’s voice.

Alice seemed to be doing a much better job keeping her voice under control, and Phi only heard one word of her reply: “… headquarters…”

Even as Phi gave up on eavesdropping on them – she could hear no more intelligible words from where she was – she realised something interesting was going on. Phi already knew that Alice and Clover knew each other, but she was now certain that something much deeper and more dangerous was hiding behind their façade. It wouldn’t do to be caught by them. Phi fled the crew quarters, wondering what to make of that one word that she’d heard.

 

Alice and Clover came through the cyan door into the warehouse less than a minute after Phi did; she must have stopped listening just in time. None of the others noticed that the three of them had taken the long way back to the warehouse, because they were gathered in front of Zero’s screen, where the rodent-like avatar stood regarding them with scorn.

“Yawn,” he stated mockingly, “You’re finally done? I thought I was gonna be waiting here fooooreveeer for you lot to get back. I thought I was gonna just… wither away from the loneliness. Did you ever think about that, huh? Did you ever think about what it’d be like for me?”

Phi sighed with frustration. “Just get on with it, Zero,” she snapped.

“Now, now, Phido,” Zero scolded, “We all know your bark is worse than your bite.” – Phi thought she would easily ignore all of Zero’s barbs, but for some reason this hurt, a twinging wound in her self-image of competence – “So, you all want to know how you get more BP?”

“We go into the AB rooms, right?” Sigma asked. He gestured to Phi and Alice, and they pulled out the AB cards they’d gotten from the crew quarters.

“Ding ding ding!” Zero responded, “Sigma has been able to remember something I just told him! Well done!”

“But… who goes into which room?” Luna asked.

“That doesn’t really matter. Anybunny can go into any room. You just have to stay in your pairs… those of you who have pairs. The rest of you are stuck by yourselves. Poor you.”

“But what do we do after we go into the room?” Quark asked.

“You play a game.” As Zero said this, a fanfare played through the speakers and animated fireworks exploded behind the mouse on the screen. “The Ambidex Game!”

Tenmyouji looked puzzled. “What’s ‘Ambidex’ supposed to mean anyway?”

K spoke up. “I would guess it’s short for ‘ambidextrous’. Most use the word to refer to the ability to use both of one’s hands equally well, instead of favouring the left or the right, but it can also be taken to mean someone who is duplicitous or two-faced.”

“A game of betrayal…” Sigma murmured.

“Well yes, I guess you could put it that way,” Zero replied, “Now, could I have you all move to the AB rooms please? I’ll give you more specifics once everyone’s inside. I’d just hate to let slip any spoilers before the fun’s started.” Before anyone else could ask any questions, Zero’s projectors switched off, leaving the nine players nothing to do but enter the AB rooms as commanded.

 

Sigma and Phi drifted towards the leftmost AB gate as the group separated. Sigma swiped the card through the reader by the side of the doors, as did five of the others, and there was a roaring hiss as six pairs of doors slid open. Once all the doors were open, an announcement played through the speakers. ‘An Ambidex Gate has been opened. Forty five minutes remain until Ambidex Game polling closes.

Sigma strode into the room, then turned to face her. “What’re you waiting for, Phi?”

Huh. For some reason, Phi hadn’t expected to enter the AB Room so quickly. It wasn’t a conscious thought; she just hadn’t stepped forward when Sigma did. Shaking her head to clear her mind, Phi stepped forward to join Sigma. The screen in the middle was lit up. Phi approached the screen and examined it: there were a couple of paragraphs of text above a button labelled ‘START’.

‘The Ambidex Game will now begin. To enter you vote, please touch the ‘START’ button on your screen.

‘Once you have begun, the door will lock automatically. It will not open again until the polling period has finished.’

Phi withdrew her finger from where it had hovered over the button. According to the instructions, the Ambidex Game seemed to consist of a single choice; since they would hardly need all of the time available to enter that single choice, it would be best to keep their options open by leaving the Ambidex Gate open. That was clearly the best use of the opportunities before them.

The moment Phi had made her decision, Sigma stepped past her and tapped the ‘START’ button. The doors closed behind them.

“The hell are you doing, you idiot?!” Phi shouted at Sigma, “Did you even read what it said? Once you press that button, it locks the door for forty minutes! Now thanks to your stupid ass, we’re stuck in here for almost an hour.” Phi slumped against the wall with a sigh.

As Sigma tried to reply, the screen on the elevator panel activated. Zero’s avatar appeared on it, smirk unchanged from when he had last been seen outside the AB Rooms. “Hey hey hey!” he cackled, “Looks like everybunny’s closed their AB Gates! Now, I’ll be continuing my previous explanation. Let me tail you about the AB Game. You’re obviously going to have an opponent. You’ll be competing against whoever you went through the Chromatic Doors with. I want everybunny to focus on the screen at the back of the room. You should see ‘Ally’ and ‘Betray’ on it. All you have to do is pick one of those easy hoptions. Your BP will go up or down depending on what you and your hopponent do.”

Zero explained the consequences of each option. Phi recognised the situation immediately. This was a Prisoner’s Dilemma. Suddenly the true fiendishness of the Nonary Game was clarified. No longer was it the nine of them against Zero; instead, they were competing for the one chance to leave through the Number Nine door. Each of them would fear that someone else would collect points more quickly than them and open the door before they could get nine points; that would provide the temptation to press betray themselves, and the inexorable logic of the prisoner’s dilemma took hold. Much as Phi could enthusiastically declare her aspiration to get as many people out as possible, it would be much harder to actually press ‘Ally’.

“I think that about does it for the basic rules. Weeell, actually there’s a little bit more, but it’ll just have to wait, I guess. Hush now, it’ll be okay. Anyway, I’ve gotta hop along now. Don’t do something harebrained and wait till the last minute. You’ve got plenty of time so… think it out! Have a nice trust!” With that, Zero’s voice went silent and his avatar vanished from the screen.

 

Sigma sighed. “Man, what are we gonna do now?”

“Well, stand here in this room not doing anything, mostly, since you locked the doors on us… oh, you meant ‘what are we going to do about the AB Game?’” Phi replied sarcastically.

“Yeah… Should we choose ‘Ally’? Or ‘Betray’?”

“It’s a tough call. This is really kind of an interesting game.” Phi guessed that Sigma didn’t have her understanding of game theory or the prisoner’s dilemma and so, with the time they had available, she explained.

As Phi spoke, she thought. As she saw it, her background was better than most for understanding it. Most people would never experience a real example of the prisoner’s dilemma; not for nothing was it named after criminals. Normal people avoided the prisoner’s dilemma by appealing to the weight of the law. People like Phi… couldn’t do that.

Of course, that hardly meant that criminals were constantly betraying each other. If that were the case, ‘independent agents’ like Phi – people with useful skills and knowledge, unaffiliated to any large criminal organisation, taking on any well paid jobs that took their interest on a one-time basis – couldn’t exist. Instead, Phi had thrived. There were several reasons that even those with as little regard for the law as Phi didn’t end up in the brutal situation you would have predicted from a naïve look at the prisoner’s dilemma. The most obvious was reputation. Anyone who betrayed others left and right would soon find themselves unable to make any deals at all.

One other idea from game theory that Phi had heard of, one step more complicated than the mere prisoner’s dilemma, was the _iterated_ prisoner’s dilemma: a tournament of several dozen players, each round consisting of a pair of players playing the prisoner’s dilemma several times, basing their choices on the results of previous rounds. Unlike the pure prisoner’s dilemma, the best strategy here was the somewhat derisively named ‘Tit-for-Tat’: start by choosing ‘Ally’, then do whatever your opponent did on the previous round. Enough people playing tit-for-tat in a tournament would effectively always cooperate with each other, while at the same time would punish any betrayers and prevent them from getting any points at all. The setup of the iterated prisoner’s dilemma more closely modelled the real world; it agreed with Phi’s own experience that stable co-operation could emerge even in the absence of law enforcement.

Another difference between the abstractions of game theory and the real world, that also accounted for the difference between the dog-eat-dog world predicted by the prisoner’s dilemma and reality, was that the choices in the real world weren’t the binary ‘Ally/Betray’ used by the prisoner’s dilemma. It was possible to enter into an agreement with another party even while warily protecting yourself from the possibility of betrayal.

The way it normally worked for Phi, whenever she took on a job for a client she had never met before, is that she’d require an introduction from someone she already trusted. Even then, where possible, the first contact would take place at arm’s length – phone calls, encrypted email, dead drops – so that she didn’t give away her location. If she did have to meet her client, it took place at a location Phi knew and her client didn’t, so that Phi would always have an escape route. And, of course, she always got paid half in advance. She never even had to ask; everyone knew that it was required.

Sigma nodded; he seemed to have understood her explanation of the prisoner’s dilemma. “… but if we don’t trust Alice and she doesn’t trust us, in the long run it won’t benefit either of us,” he stated, finishing off Phi’s explanation.

“Yeah, but this is where it gets interesting,” Phi said, “Let’s say for a moment all nine of us are on one team. Who would we be playing against?”

“Zero, of course,” Sigma answered.

Exactly. The goal of the players was to get as many of them out as possible. That basically meant increasing the total number of bracelet points among all nine of them. And the quickest way to do that was for all players to choose ‘Ally’, giving six more points to each trio. “In this game, if each individual acts for the benefit of the whole group, everyone benefits,” Phi explained to Sigma, “But if everyone starts looking out for themselves, it’ll impact the group negatively, and eventually it’ll impact them negatively too. If all of us choose ‘Betray’, then the group gets zero points. Ultimately, no-one benefits. Selfish but logical decisions hurt everyone, and they hurt you.”

Sigma smiled. “Okay, I think I get it. What you’re saying is that we should pick ‘Ally’.”

“No.”

There was only one problem. The Ambidex Game was much closer to a true prisoner’s dilemma than any of its analogues in the real world. The Ambidex Game was a straight up choice, with no chances to hedge your bets. It wasn’t anything like an iterated prisoner’s dilemma: with only two betrayals, a person could escape through the Number Nine Door; be betrayed twice, and your bracelet points would drop to minus one, and Phi could already guess what the result would be if that happened.

“It’s not the prisoner’s solution: it’s the prisoner’s dilemma,” Phi stated, “Even though there’s a best outcome, an outcome where everyone’s happy, the choice you’d have to make for that outcome isn’t the rational one. We want to pick it, but we can’t. If we pick ‘Ally’, and Alice betrays us, then we’re screwed.”

 

Sigma stared at her inquisitively. “What do you mean, we’re screwed? I’m guessing something happens if our BP hits zero, right? I mean, the way you said it sure makes it seem like something’s gonna happen. Do you know something?”

Phi didn’t reply. Sigma had to be able to work it out for himself.

Something must have shown on her face, though, because Sigma gasped. “You do know something! What are you hiding? You know, there’s been something weird about you from the moment we met. I mean, for starters, how did you know my name?”

“Oh, knock it off,” Phi replied, “This is getting old.”

Sigma roared, “I don’t care if it’s getting ancient! This is important. I don’t know you! But you seem to know me somehow! The only explanation I can think of that makes any kind of sense is that you’re working with Zero…”

Sigma trailed off. With a dazed expression on his face, he gazed blankly around the AB Room.  Then, he collapsed.

Phi rushed over to him frantically and tried to shake him awake. Sigma murmured the word, “B-bomb,” but Phi couldn’t get any other reaction from him.

Before Phi could try anything else, an announcement interrupted her thoughts. “One minute remains until Ambidex Polling closes.

There wasn’t any time for Sigma to recover; Phi would have to make the choice herself. She made sure Sigma was comfortable leaning against the wall then returned to the screen, where the two options ‘Ally’ and ‘Betray’ beckoned. Which choice would she make? The problem was exactly as she had explained to Sigma: much as she wanted to vote ally, she wasn’t sure if she could risk it.

Phi was sure Alice was intelligent enough to come to the same conclusions as Phi had: both that the ideal result was for everyone to vote ‘Ally’, but also that ‘Ally’ was the illogical choice. That meant that Phi would have to guess what Alice would do, and what Alice would guess Phi would do, and choose accordingly. If Alice was going to vote ‘Betray’ then Phi would have to do the same to protect herself and Sigma; if Alice chose ‘Ally’, then betraying her would destroy any possibility of cooperation.

Phi stepped forward and, with the weight of the problem before her salient in her mind, made her choice.

 

**Choice:**  
**A) Ally  
** **B) Betray**

* * *

_This_ _fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_You guys know what to do!_


	35. Too Much Information

_We had a unanimous vote in favour of allying, so here we go!_

* * *

Phi, nervously aware of the last seconds of the countdown, made her choice: ‘Ally’. Alice had to be aware of the futility of mutual betrayal; it was best to signal intent to co-operate right from the start. Now she could only hope that Alice’s reasoning was the same.

The AB Gates opened – with the announcement “Round one of the Ambidex Game has been completed. Results will be displayed in the warehouse,” – but Phi couldn’t leave yet. Sigma was still suffering from the trance or stroke or whatever-it-was that had afflicted him. Phi rushed back over to his side, kneeling down next to where he was slumped in the corner.

“Sigma!” she cried, trying to shake him awake.

Phi could see Sigma’s real eye moving under his closed eyelid. It wasn’t moving uncontrollably, like a seizure victim, just as smoothly and naturally as it would if he were in complete normal control of it, but it was still disconcerting. Slowly, Sigma stirred.

“What… was that?” he murmured, “I saw…”

When Sigma trailed off, Phi prompted him, “Saw what?”

“The… the explosion. I think there’s a bomb somewhere in this building. I’m not sure but it sounded like it was on a timer. You and I were trying to stop it, but we couldn’t do anything, and…”

Phi remembered how Sigma had muttered ‘Bomb’ before he collapsed. Now he was spouting an entire story on the same topic, frantic emotion causing his voice to tremble. He sounded as certain as if he had actually seen it happen. Perhaps he thought he had: the way his eye had moved while in the trance certainly suggested he had been looking at something.

“Whoa, Sigma! Calm down!” Phi clamped her hand over Sigma’s mouth until he stopped babbling. “What are you talking about?”

“Argh… my head…” Sigma moaned, “Ah… it hurts.”

“You know, you said it hurt when you first woke up in the AB Room too.”

“It didn’t just hurt. It felt like it was going to explode…” Sigma rubbed the side of his head. “Maybe I should just… lay my head on your lap a bit…”

Phi sighed. “Of course. I shouldn’t have worried about you.”

Sigma clambered up from where he lay. For the first time, he saw that the doors were now open. “Huh? What happened in the AB Game?”

“I voted ‘Ally’,” Phi replied nervously.

Sigma looked pensive. “I was worried, but I think that’s the right choice. I can guarantee Alice chose ‘Ally’.”

“How do you know that?”

Sigma thought, then rolled his eyes. “I guess you could say… I just know.”

Phi glared at him. “Are you making fun of me?” Normally, Phi would have thought that he definitely was making fun of it, but after Sigma’s ‘vision’ or whatever it was, Phi suspected there was something more behind Sigma’s ‘just know’.

Sigma’s reply was drowned out by an indignant shout from Zero “Wasssuuuuup! Siggy, Phido! We’re about to announce the results!”

Everyone else was already standing around Zero, and Sigma and Phi rushed over to join them. They would have to leave the discussion of Sigma’s vision behind them; the results came first.

With a fanfare, Zero began. “Ambidex Game! Round One!” Giving a mocking bow, his avatar vanished from the screen to be replaced by an orderly table of results:

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

K                                     3                           Betray                       +3                          6  
Clover                             3                                                            +3                          6

Tenmyouji                      3                             Ally                           -2                          1

 

Dio                                 3                             Ally                          +2                          5  
Quark                             3                                                             +2                          5

Luna                               3                             Ally                          +2                          5

 

Sigma                             3                             Ally                           -2                          1  
Phi                                  3                                                             -2                          1

Alice                               3                           Betray                         +3                          6

 

There was an uproar as everyone comprehended the results. Three people were now hovering precariously on one bracelet point. Three people, including Phi.

Phi and Sigma rushed over to confront Alice. Before they could speak, however, she brushed away their concerns with a dismissive wave. “I just made the most rational choice. The best way to minimise risk and maximise reward is to choose ‘Betray’. Anyone who thinks otherwise is… well… an idiot.”

“You’re not right about maximising the reward,” Phi responded bluntly, “If everyone votes to betray then we get nowhere. No reward.”

“But that’s not what happened, is it? You must be awfully naïve. Look. The scoreboard shows which of us was right.”

Next to Phi, Sigma spluttered, “But last time you chose ‘Ally’… so I was sure… what?”

What on Earth was Sigma talking about? Between his seizure in the AB Room, and his obvious disorientation now, Phi was seriously worried for him. He didn’t look quite old enough to be senile yet, but early-onset Alzheimer’s was always a possibility. Fortunately, Sigma soon returned to normal. Though he didn’t want to talk about what he had been saying, it seemed that Sigma’s confusion had passed.

Phi turned away from Alice and Sigma to observe the discussions among the other two trios. Tenmyouji stood facing Clover and K with a mournful expression on his face, while they looked sheepishly back.

“I guess I haven’t had enough time to earn your trust, huh?” Tenmyouji said softly.

Clover cocked her head to one side. “Um… I suppose you could say that. I just didn’t really expect you to be so nice about it.”

The other discussion had concluded significantly more happily.

“Thank you! Thank you so very much,” Luna said warmly.

“Don’t worry about it,” Quark replied with a grin, “We only did what anyone else would do. Right, Mr. Dio?”

Dio shrugged. “Y-Yeah, exactly.” Then Dio looked snidely at the other two groups of three. “Well, not quite what anyone would do…”

That is, happily apart from the disparaging comments Dio was insistent on inserting.

 

With all three discussions concluded, there was nothing to do but carry on with the Nonary Game.

Alice turned to the screen, where Zero’s rodent-like avatar was waiting for them smugly, and checked her bracelet. “Zero, our bracelets say the next round starts in an hour. How do we get through the next set of doors downstairs?”

Zero giggled. “Maybe you don’t get through those doors. Maybe you have to stay up here, forever, with meeeeee! Won’t that be fun?”

Alice answered confidently, “You called this ‘Round One’. Where there’s a round one, there’s a round two.”

K interjected, “Besides, didn’t you say the goal of the AB Game was to get nine BP? That’s impossible without a second round.”

Zero pouted, his elaborate hat drooping to one side. “You lot are no fun. Yes, there’s a second round. There!” Suddenly Zero perked up. “Yes, you get to vote again, loads more juicy betrayals! Just as soon as you get the AB gates open again.

Clover made a quizzical little squeak. “But… they’re already open!”

Zero mimed slamming his head into his hand. “Whoopsie! Lemme just clooooose them!” On Zero’s cue six pairs of doors whirred closed.

Once all the doors were fully closed an announcement played through the speakers. “Round two of the Ambidex Game will be the Moon round. Moon keys will be required to open the gates.”

“So those Sun keys you have are just compleeeeetely useless now,” Zero concluded, “Weeeell, I guess you could throw them at each other, or use them to pick your teeth, but other than that they’re useless.”

“So, how many times do we play the AB game?” Dio asked.

Zero shrugged. “Dunno? As many times as you need to? I plan on keeping this party going until somebunny opens the Number Nine door. It could be next round! Or you could get stuck below 9 BP, where everybunny just keeps going back and forth, back and forth, winning and losing points… After all, if no one has nine BP the door can’t open… Round three, Round four, Round five… Round 100, Round 2000… you might even go all the way to Round 17,179,869,183: things get really weird if I get that high. I really, really hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Sigma, a curious look on his face, asked Zero a question. “There’s rules about who can go through the Chromatic doors, right? Like, you have to have three people exactly. Are there similar rules for the Number Nine door?”

“Nope! There aren’t any rules about how many people can go through that door. It could be one person, or two people, or even all nine of you.” Zero frowned. “Just one thing, though, Siggy… All that stuff about how you have to have three people to go through the secondary Chromatic doors. Maybe it’s not… 100% true. You just need to have the correct three bracelets. As long as the scanners see the right combination of bracelets… the people don’t matter.”

“So you’re saying these things can come off?” Sigma said.

“Tell me how I take it off!” Quark shouted, pulling at his wrist.

“Well, there’s two ways,” Zero explained, “First is to escape through the Number Nine door. Soon as you do, you’re free to go, none of my business, no more turbocuarine hanging over you. Second… well the second’s far more enjoyable.”

“What’s the second way, Zero?!” Dio yelled, “Tell us already!”

Zero chuckled deeply. “Oh, B.O. I think you already know. Do you really want to get rid of that bracelet? It’s easy. Nothing to it.

“You die.

“Now if we’re lucky, we might see a few of them come off during the next round!” Zero giggled at his thinly veiled threat. “If I had to guess, it’s gonna be Tenmyouldy or Siggy or Phido…” – Zero grinned maniacally at the three people who had been betrayed in the first round – “or even all of them.”

Zero then explained that anyone whose BP dropped to zero would be punished just as harshly as if they’d broken the rules.

“I see…” Tenmyouji said glumly, “Phi, Sigma and I only have one BP. That means that we’d have less than zero if we lost two points…”

If that happened, they’d die. It was a cold but undeniable fact: testament to the mistake that Phi had made in the AB Game.

 

Zero didn’t care about the disquiet he’d caused. Instead, he carried on with his spiel. “The next set of Chromatic Doors you’ll be going through are downstairs,” Zero continued to explain, “You already saw them, right? There should have been three: red, blue and green. That means to get through, you’ll need bracelets in cyan, magenta and yellow. But wait! You already have those bracelets!”

Phi looked down at her wrist automatically. Her bracelet had been updated with her new score – ‘1’ – and as Zero had implied the colour of the text had changed: it was now magenta. As an extra surprise, the small text below the number now read ‘SOLO’; not only had the Nonary Game broken up her pairing with Sigma, but it had left her without a partner at all. This was probably for the best. Phi needed to gain points to stave off potential death. If she’d had a partner with more points than her, she’d also need to worry about gaining too many points and allowing her partner to escape through the Number Nine Door. Better to go into the next Ambidex Game without the complication. With that in mind, Phi went about finding out everyone else’s new bracelet colours, to see who her possible opponents would be.

Sigma and Luna were now the yellow pair.  
Tenmyouji and Dio were the magenta pair.  
K and Quark were the cyan pair.  
Clover was the cyan solo.  
Finally, Alice was the yellow solo.

“When did they change?” Quark asked Zero.

“Back when the AB gates closed. As soon as the gates close, your colours get all shuffled up automatically. The pair and solo assignments hop around too,” Zero explained, jumping around the screen to illustrate his statement.

“Now, with all that explained… I must bid you adieu. Sadly…” – Zero’s lip trembled – “we may never meet again. There’s not really anything for me to facilitate anymore. I’ll never see you guys…again!”

There was awkward silence.

Suddenly Zero burst out laughing. “Did you really think I was gonna cry! I hate you losers. Anyway gooood luck. I may be gone, but I’m always watching. Have a nice tragedy!” With that, the mouse disappeared from the screen, never to be seen again.

Good riddance.

 

Quark was the first to speak. “So… what happens now? We’ve still got a while till the Chromatic Doors open.” In fact, they had three quarters of an hour.

Alice took charge. “We should go and see if we can find any other exits,” she commanded, “Maybe there’s a vent or a disposal chute or something. I for one wouldn’t mind examining the other rooms.”

“Let’s split up,” Phi suggested. She estimated how much time they wold need to get down to the Chromatic Doors. “Let’s meet in front of the Chromatic Doors five minutes before they open.”

 

The group split up. Phi headed towards the lounge; it was a room she hadn’t yet explored so she was particularly curious about it. She arrived to find that it was luxuriously furnished, with a well-stocked bar stretching across the opposite wall, and an invitingly comfortable sofa adorned with plump maroon cushions in the near corner.

The lights in the lounge were dimmed to engender an appealing ambience, but as Phi looked around she had a disconcerting feeling that her vision was even darker than it was supposed to be. She slouched into the corner of the sofa and massaged her temples with her fingers. Though she hadn’t noticed it at first, but a subtle headache had formed; it was the subconscious distraction of it that had clouded her vision.

Before Phi could get comfortable, Clover and Luna also entered from the direction of the magenta door. Phi shook her head to clear the headache, then greeted them. Clover, who had explored the room first with K and Tenmyouji, gave them an outline of the puzzle they had solved to get the safe open.

“It was all about, um, lunar eclipses,” Clover said, “No, not you, Luna…” – Luna hadn’t given any indication that she thought ‘lunar’ referred to her, but Clover said it anyway – “… I mean ‘lunar’ as in, like, moony. You know, astronomy.” When pressed for details, Clover continued, “There was a projector beam across the middle of the room, spelling out the words ‘green sun’, ‘blue planet’ and ‘red moon’. I’m kinda glad it’s off now. K managed to blind himself with it. You wouldn’t think a guy could squeal that high. Turns out the eye holes on his suit have, like, magnification.”

With that sorted, it was time to get searching. They divided the room into three sections, each person searching one section. Since she was already standing there, Phi took the area around the sofa. However, it seemed the sofa had already been examined quite thoroughly: Phi could see the creases and rumples where the seats had been removed to search underneath. Once she was sure nothing was to be found, Phi surrendered to futility and turned to see how the other two were doing. Unfortunately, they were as frustrated as she was.

Recalling the mysterious conversation between Clover and Alice she had overheard earlier, Phi’s curiosity piqued. There had to be something interesting to discover there. It might even shed light on why they had been kidnapped in the first place.

“So, Clover, how do you and Alice know each other?” Phi asked.

Clover scratched the corner of her mouth. “Well, we’re co-workers.”

“That’s… vague. Care to elaborate? Where do you ‘co-work’?”

Clover frowned. “Um… I can’t tell you.”

Well. That was suspicious.

Clover continued apologetically. “Okay, I’ll tell you what I can. We met shortly after the… um… earlier Nonary Game I was in. We’d all escaped, and I was driving us away from the place where they’d held us. It turned out that we were in the middle of the Nevada desert. Alice’s jeep had broken down, but we were able to pick her up and save her life. Yay!”

Phi immediately pounced on the loose thread  in Clover’s tale. “That was a hell of a coincidence, Alice just happening to break down right next to a Nonary Game.”

Clover pouted. “Hey! If you’re gonna be like that I shouldn’t tell you anything.” Before Phi could react Clover changed the subject. “Luna, you went through the infirmary, right? What’s it like in there?”

Luna smiled mildly. “It was very interesting. It was not quite as well equipped as a true hospital, of course, but the diagnostic machine it does have is very advanced. I have a medical licence, so I was able to experiment with some more features of it than were required for the puzzle.” Then, Luna gasped. “I hope we’re not going to have to use the infirmary again. It would be awful if one of us was injured.”

Satisfied with Luna’s description, Clover then turned on Phi. “You were in the crew quarters with Alice, weren’t you? I bet Alice did really well at solving the puzzles.”

“Hmm…” Phi replied noncommittally. She wasn’t particularly willing to discuss what had happened in the crew quarters. The only thing of interest had been the book about Schrodinger’s Cat; the only result if word of that got around would be an endless stream of cat puns from Sigma, each more tortuous than the last.

 

As if summoned by her merest thought of the word ‘cat’, Sigma wandered in. He looked around the room and grinned. “So… This is the lounge, huh… A bar, a sofa… and three ladies. I feel like I’m in the VIP room.” Ugh. Sigma must have been perfectly fine after all.

“Can I get you a drink?” Clover asked, gesturing at the shelves behind the bar. Goddamnit Clover, don’t encourage him!

“You’d better not be underage,” Sigma said mock-sternly. Clover said she was twenty one, so Sigma continued, “Well, I guess we could possibly have a drink or two, then… Unfortunately, as much fun as that sounds like, I don’t think it’s a very good idea. This isn’t really a good time to be getting wasted.”

Clover made a typical show of immaturity, to the point that Phi almost thought she was putting it on to deflect suspicion. “Really? It seems like this sort of thing is exactly what makes people want to drink in the first place.”

“You’ve got a point… I’m just kidding,” Sigma said, giggling, “Besides, I’ve got a headache. Drinking is… probably not the best plan.”

“It hasn’t gone away yet?” Phi asked. Just a headache wasn’t as bad as the stroke she’d first thought he’d suffered, but it was worrying that it had lasted so long. Sigma’s gregarious entrance to the lounge, which Phi had originally taken as a sign that he had recovered, must have been forced past the pain in his head: merely a façade.

“Well, it was fine for a while, but now I guess it’s back,” Sigma replied, “Yeah, I’m sure if I just leave it alone it’ll go away in a bit. That’s how it went before, anyway. Has this been happening to anyone else?”

Phi remembered the way her eyes had glazed over as they first accustomed themselves to the low-level light of the lounge. “Now that you mention it, I did get one a bit ago. I feel fine now, though.”

Luna had also suffered headaches since waking up in the Nonary Game, but Clover instead had a different problem. “It’s… hard to explain. I just feel kinda… weird,” Clover said, crossing her arms defensively, “My body feels weird. Like, my whole body.”

“Do you feel kind of… numb? I think I’ve got the same thing,” Sigma concurred, “It’s kind of like when you fall asleep on top of one of your arms. And then when you wake up, that arm kinda feels like it’s not really yours anymore? It’s not just my arm though. My whole body feels kind of numb and foreign.”

“Oh, if that’s what you’re talking about then, yeah, I know what you mean,” Phi said, “It’s kind of like my body isn’t really mine. I’m sort of… floating. Like that?”

As Sigma and Clover worked themselves into a panic, even making Phi nervous, Luna offered an explanation. “Maybe it’s because of the anaesthetic gas. It seems like we were unconscious for a long time, so it must have been pretty powerful stuff.”

“You think this might be some sort of side effect?” Sigma asked nervously.

“Well, it could be a side effect, or it could be that it hasn’t worn off completely yet.”

The four of them stood in silence, contemplating their fear of the subtle but uncomfortable problems their bodies were experiencing. Eventually, Phi realised she’d need to break the tension if they were to do anything other than stand there awkwardly forever. “Whatever. That’s not important. Right now we need to figure out how to get out of here.”

Sigma nodded. “Alright. I’ll go have a look somewhere else, then.” With that, the lingering anxiety about illness and headaches was put behind them.

 

Once Sigma had left, Clover approached Phi with an apologetic trembling frown. “Hey, Phi,” she said cautiously, “Um… You didn’t want to talk about Alice earlier. Are you still mad at her for betraying you?”

“Maybe.”

“Don’t hate her! She’s a really, really great person when you get to know her, really.” Clover’s expression turned pensive. Once she had taken the time to come up with a plan, Clover beamed. “I bet if I asked her to, she’d apologise to you properly. Come on!”

Phi started, “Er…” but it was too late. Clover grabbed her by the wrist and exuberantly dragged her out of the lounge. Phi resigned herself to the indignity and didn’t resist, allowing Clover to haul her along the corridor. Phi found herself being yanked into the infirmary. Tenmyouji and Dio were also there, but Clover single-mindedly marched Phi over to where Alice was standing.

“Hi Alice!” Clover greeted her warmly with a glomping hug. Once Alice and Phi had recovered from their exposure to Clover’s relentless energy, Clover said, “Hey Alice, don’t you think you were a bit harsh earlier to Sigma and Phi? I’m sure they’re nice people who we can trust once we get to know them. I mean, I remember what you said to me during my trai… what you said to me about trusting too many people but…”

Alice interrupted Clover, and glared sternly at Phi, “As I said to Sigma earlier, if I’d known you were going to ally I would have done the same. But there was no way for me to know that. That’s why I had to vote ‘Betray’.” Alice turned back to Clover, gazing down at her. “Clover, do you remember when we met? You’d only just escaped from a Nonary Game.” When Clover nodded, Alice continued, “Can you imagine what would have happened if you’d trusted everyone then? One of them tried to kill you! And two of the others were the masterminds, were Zero. That’s why you have to be more discerning.”

Clover nodded again. “You’re right.” Clover turned apologetically to Phi. “Sorry. I just though after Tenmyouji forgave me and K earlier… never mind.”

Hearing his name mentioned, Tenmyouji spoke up. “Hmph. It’s not that simple, Clover. I can’t tell you why, but there are reasons why I’d be much more willing to trust you, compared to any two random people. I don’t think you can just expect two people to get along.”

There was an awkward pause as Tenmyouji trailed off and Clover looked at him curiously. After half a minute, Dio broke the silence.

“Oh, yeah, there’s something I forgot to mention earlier.” Once all attention was on him, Dio continued, “It’s this thing I, Luna and Quark found in here.” Dio described a newspaper cutting which contained an article describing a worldwide outbreak of a virus called ‘Radical-6’, which had – according to whoever had written it – killed hundreds of thousands of people.

“I don’t believe it,” Alice said bluntly, “It has to be something Zero placed there on purpose to scare us. Where is this article? Once we get a good look at it, we’ll see that it’s fake.”

“I left it with the kid,” Dio replied, “No idea where he ran off to, though.”

“Wait,” Phi said, “You gave an article, describing how a virus utterly destroyed the world, to Quark? The hell were you thinking?!”

Dio shrugged. “Who cares? Maybe getting a little fright will make the brat man up.”

Phi glanced at Tenmyouji, expecting him to also object, but while he frowned he only remained silent. Just as Phi gave up on waiting for Tenmyouji and was about scold Dio once more, Dio changed the subject.

“Hey, Clover, I was wondering about something we were talking about before you and Phi arrived. What exactly did you say was the deal between you and Alice, again?”

Alice gasped, but Clover had already started speaking, giving the same answer she had when Phi had asked her earlier. “Well, we’re co-workers…”

 Dio pounced. “Heh. That’s interesting. When I asked Alice the same thing earlier, she said you had nothing to do with her work.” Chuckling, Dio winked. “Oh, well. Food for thought.”

Clover scowled at him, but there was nothing she could say. Between them, she and Alice had been caught in a contradiction by Dio. Phi wondered why Clover and Alice had lied. Clover had been extremely reticent about telling Phi her own story; clearly, there was something important they were hiding.

 

Before Phi could start to investigate, Quark burst in through the door. With a frantic look around at the five people in the infirmary, he shouted, “There you are! You have to come with me. We found something really bad in the crew quarters. Just hurry! It’ll make sense when you see it.”

Quark led them swiftly to the crew quarters and directed them into cabin number two. K and Sigma were already there, standing watchfully by the bed; once the people from the infirmary were all inside, Quark raced off again, presumably to fetch Luna – the only person not present. K wordlessly pointed under the bed. Phi knelt down to get a closer look at whatever it was that had caused such panic.

Attached inconspicuously to the bottom side of the bed was a metal cylinder, the number ‘03’ engraved on the cap around one end. The middle of the cylinder was translucent, and when Phi peered inside she could see a tiny speck, held as though floating in the exact centre of the chamber inside the cylinder. Despite its miniscule size, the speck glowed furiously. Though Phi had never seen it before, she recognised the technology required to keep something floating like that. Of course, the so-called Penning trap had only ever seen one useful application in the entire history of Science.

That speck was antimatter. That cylinder was an antimatter bomb.

Bomb. Bomb. Sigma had mentioned a bomb when he’d had his seizure. Had he known about this? How had he known about this? Phi noted with suspicion that Sigma had been present when the bomb was discovered. Had he planted it?

For that matter, had any of the other players planted the bomb? Once everyone had seen it, it became apparent that the same thought had crossed many people’s minds. People warily watched each other; everyone’s fears coalesced into a tense silence.

The only thing that could be done was to start investigating the bomb. To get people on the right track, Phi started off. “It doesn’t look like it has a timed detonator. There must be a remote somewhere.”

Alice said, “It’ll probably use an active button or switch of some sort, not a dead-man switch. My guess is that whoever planted it would want to avoid an accidental detonation. That means that if we can get the switch, we should be safe.” Phi wondered how Alice was so confident in her judgment, and whether or not that confidence was related to her and Clover’s secret, but it was a good point which Phi agreed with, so she let it stand. Instead she tried to reconstruct the events that had led to the bomb being found. “Who was the first person to find this?” she asked.

“It was me,” K replied, “I found it while Quark, Sigma and I were investigating this area. I recognised it as a bomb, so I sent Quark to inform the rest of you while Sigma and I stood guard.”

“Wait. How did you know it was a bomb?” Phi asked.

“I have… seen it before. I’m not sure when, or in what context.”

“Because of the amnesia?”

“Yes…” K trailed off.

Dio scoffed. “Are you kidding me? Still going on and on about that amnesia bullshit? Besides, we don’t even know it’s a real bomb. Are you gonna tell me that guy who can’t even remember his own name knows a bomb when he sees it…”

Alice cut him off. “No. K is right. That’s a bomb. I’m sure of it.”

Once again, Alice was far more confident than she had any right to be. “How do you know?” Phi asked warily, “You sounded pretty sure about the switch, too. How do you know all this?”

Alice sighed. “Let’s just say it’s an occupational hazard.” When Phi opened her mouth for another question Alice interrupted her, “I can’t tell you what my occupation is.”

“Spare me the bullshit!” Phi yelled, “This isn’t the time to be keeping secrets!”

Unfortunately, Alice thought it was. She clammed up, and motioned to Clover to do the same. Rather than explaining how she knew this stuff, Alice only added, “Don’t worry, it should only have about as much power as one ton of TNT.”

“A ton!” Dio yelped, “How, _exactly,_ should I ‘not worry’ about that? That’s enough to blow up a ten storey building!”

“True,” Alice replied calmly, “but it’s a lot less powerful than an atomic bomb. We don’t know how big this place is. If we can get far enough away from the bomb, we might have a chance of survival.”

K spoke up, “Perhaps, but… How do we know this is the only bomb? Look at it carefully. It’s got a number three. Do you see it? If the bombs are numbered, then there may be a number two bomb and a number one bomb. There’s no way to know if this is the final bomb either. There could be a fourth, or a fifth…”

Everyone took in this horrifying idea. After a short pause Dio made a suggestion. “W-We can’t just sit here and do nothing. We should move it… somewhere…”

As Dio reached for the bomb, Alice smacked his hand away. “No! Don’t touch it!” Once Alice was sure Dio had stopped, she explained. “This bomb is here because someone planted it! Do you really think they didn’t rig it to go off if some _idiot_ tried to move it?! We’ll just have to leave it be for now. Until we can find the detonator or figure out how to turn it off…”

Tenmyouji spoke up, seizing on Alice’s statement. “Do you know how to turn it off? Spill the beans, lady. How do we turn the damn thing off?”

“There should be an emergency deactivation password. If you enter that password, the device should, well, deactivate. You see that port, at the opposite end from the number? If we can find the password input device, we just connect it there. Then we can enter the password.” So there was a chance to survive, even if it was a slim one.

 

Now that the details of the bomb were fully understood, the conversation turned to finding out who had planted it. “Who could do something like this?” Luna asked faintly.

“I have no idea,” Alice answered, “But we can find out when they did it.” She turned to Sigma and Phi. “When we searched this room, we didn’t find the bomb. So that means it must have been planted after we left.”

Sigma said, “But when we all checked the Chromatic Doors, all nine of us were there. And after that, we’ve all been around other people. There’s no way any of us could have snuck off to plant it.”

“I don’t know about that,” Phi replied immediately, “After we finished the AB Game, we all split up. If someone placed it right then, as we were deciding what rooms to search, they could easily have gotten away with it.” Phi still wondered if it was Sigma who’d set the bomb. She’d been with him for a while in the middle – searching the lounge – but before and after that he could have been anywhere.

It really didn’t help that when Clover asked, “You, know, I don’t remember seeing you around, Sigma. What were you doing?” Sigma’s only reply was, “Hah… well, I was, uh… just kind of… deep in thought, I guess. I stayed behind in the warehouse when you guys went off.”

Suddenly all attention was on Sigma. Phi couldn’t in good conscience withhold information that could reveal who the bomb-planter was. “Back when we were in the AB Room, you said you saw a moment when a bomb exploded. I can only assume you meant this bomb.”

Sigma exploded with defensive anger. “This doesn’t make any sense! Any one of us could have been in here! Why am I the only one under suspicion?

“Also, _also_! There’s no way to know the culprit here is actually one of us! Maybe there’s someone else in here, and they set up the…”

“Impossible,” Phi cut him off, “There’s no way that would get past Zero. And there’s no way Zero would let anybody do something that would get in the way of the game going forward.”

“Um. When you say ‘Zero’, you mean the AI, right?” Luna asked.

“This is confusing. From now on, let’s refer to the Real Zero, the human behind all of this, as ‘Zero Sr.’ Which would, of course, make the AI ‘Zero Jr.’”

With that sorted, Phi continued, “Anyway, whichever one it is, they’re not going to let a tenth person in. There’s no way.”

“What if the tenth person is Zero Sr.?” Sigma suggested desperately.

“I don’t think it could be,” Clover said, “Zero Jr. said Zero Sr. was one of us. Besides, why would Zero Sr. need a bomb? He can already kill all of us with the bracelets.”

 

It was an interesting point, but the nine of them were out of time. Luna, who had withdrawn to the back of the group while Phi and Clover interrogated Sigma, suddenly gasped. “O-Oh no! This is bad. Press the buttons on your bracelet!” They only had four minutes before the Chromatic Doors opened.

The players raced away from the cabin where the bomb remained, making it down to the lower floor just in time to see the three Chromatic Doors open invitingly.

“Chromatic Doors have opened. Five minutes remain until Chromatic Doors close.”

Phi immediately took charge. She had been mulling over the new set of colours in her head and, once again, had calculated the only three possible options: 

Option A:  
Phi went with K and Quark through the Blue door.  
Alice went with Tenmyouji and Dio through the Red door.  
Clover went with Sigma and Luna through the Green door. 

Option B:  
Phi went with Sigma and Luna through the Red door.  
Alice went with K and Quark through the Green door.  
Clover went with Tenmyouji and Dio through the Blue door.

Option C:  
Phi went with Tenmyouji and Dio through the Green door.  
Alice went with Sigma and Luna through the Blue door.  
Clover went with K and Quark through the Red door. 

“We need a system here, or we’ll never have time to argue it out,” Phi said once she was finished explaining, making sure not to let any other player get a word in edgeways, “Why don’t we let the people who are at the most disadvantage right now decide?”

Unfortunately, Alice immediately objected to Phi’s reasonable suggestion. “No way! I refuse! We should be fair and take a vote.” Before waiting for a response, Alice started the vote. “Option C. I want to go with Sigma and Luna.”

Sigma frowned. “Tough. Pick something else.”

It seemed, however, that Option C was quite popular. K assented to it, saying, “Clover and I were a pair in the first round, so I feel I can trust her.” Quark also agreed, as did Clover, presumably following Alice’s lead. With that much momentum behind it, Option C was basically settled.

So much for letting the disadvantaged decide. For that matter, so much for taking a proper vote.

Of course, there were only ten seconds left before the doors closed, so the matter was settled anyway. Alice proudly led Sigma and Luna towards the blue door. Phi turned away and followed Tenmyouji and Dio through the green door. Too much had happened since the end of the AB Game for her to take in. Eventually they would have to defuse the bomb and find out who planted it if they wanted to survive to escape. Before then, however, there was one more puzzle to solve.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._


	36. Hot and Cold

Phi, Tenmyouji and Dio were bathed in green light as the sensors acknowledged their presence and the secondary doors opened. The way to the next puzzle was open.

Dio patted Tenmyouji forcefully on the shoulder, then strode away down the corridor. “Come on, old man!” he called back, “Keep up, already!”

Phi and Tenmyouji reluctantly followed Dio. They didn’t have far to go. The corridor was only a few metres long before it ended at a hub. There were three doors leading off the hub, in different directions, but all were proclaimed locked by the displays of the lock boxes next to them. The only other thing in the room was a lever in the centre: it was immediately clear that the only way to continue was to pull the lever. As Phi inspected it, she noticed that it looked suspiciously similar to the lever next to the Number Nine Door.

Dio stood next to the lever and placed his hands greedily around it. “I think I’d better get some practice in with these things,” he remarked with a smirk. It seemed he’d made the same connection between this lever and the one on the upper floor as Phi had. With a flourish, Dio yanked the lever down.

The door opposite responded. The display box of its lock flashed the word ‘Open’ and a holographic plaque formed into existence at about eye level; it read ‘Treatment Centre’. However, only that single door unlocked.

Dio stared at it, his mouth agape. “What?! Just one door? I was supposed to open all three, damnit!”

Tenmyouji chuckled. “Don’t worry, Dio. Underperformance happens to every guy, once in a while.”

Dio spluttered. “Ugh… You’d know about that, wouldn’t you, you senile old fogey!”

Tenmyouji’s expression became strangely forlorn. “No. I don’t.” It seemed clear he would brook no discussion of the topic, and that he was regretting bringing it up for a mere joke.

Phi pushed past Tenmyouji and Dio and silently walked up to the door. She studied once more the holographic plaque that gave the name of the room they’d be entering. “‘Treatment Centre’? Hmm… I wonder how that differs from the infirmary upstairs.”

“Who cares?” Dio snapped, “Let’s just get in there, solve this stupid puzzle, and get out again.” He barged forwards towards Phi; Phi had to hurry through the door to avoid being trampled by Dio, managing to keep only a single step’s length in front of him. But she made it just in time, bursting into the treatment centre just ahead of Dio, with Tenmyouji bringing up the rear.

 

The first thing Phi noticed was a broad plexiglass window dividing the room in two. On the other side, lined up in a clinically precise row along the opposite wall, were three identical coffin-like pods. Phi could see the cracks running along the edge of each pod that would allow the lid to be raised. Something, anything, could be inside.

She turned to the other two players and pointed through the pane. “What do you make of these?” she asked.

Dio scoffed instantly. “Heh. Probably just some more bullshit Zero left here to screw with us.”

Tenmyouji walked past Phi and stared intently through the glass. “We need to get in there,” he stated firmly, “I need to have a look at those treatment pods.”

Dio laughed snidely. “Well, if you want to waste your own time on Zero’s stupid games, that’s up to you, old man. No skin off my back.”

Tenmyouji wasn’t listening to Dio. Instead he paced along parallel to the window; as he reached the end he disappeared around a corner. Phi followed him. She found Tenmyouji standing in front of a solid metal door, his hand hovering over a control panel at its centre.

“Locked, of course,” Tenmyouji commented, “Don’t worry. It looks like a really simple logic puzzle.” Then Tenmyouji raised his voice, making sure Dio heard as well. “While I open this up, you two have a look around and see if you can find anything else for the puzzle.”

Phi turned away, following Tenmyouji’s instruction. To the right of the door into the treatment pod chamber was an octagonal clock; it drew Phi’s eye immediately. For one thing, it had no hands; only the numbers one to twelve around its edge ensured that it was recognisable as a clock. Phi approached. As she got closer, she noticed some more strange features of the clock. In the bottom right were two memory card slots: both currently empty. Then, below the centre of the clock – the anchor of the hands, had there been any – was the label ‘No. 4’. Then, Phi noticed that the number ‘6’ at the bottom of the clock was obscured by a small dark rectangle. She placed her hand on it, but was blocked by the cover of the clock face. If she wanted to find out what the rectangle was, she’d need to open the cover. The answer to that lay with the last thing that Phi noticed: a keyhole in the bottom left corner of the clock. If she wanted to access the strange rectangle, she’d need the key for that hole.

Below the clock was a sofa. Resting on the sofa were three items. First was the puzzle’s safe, but since they couldn’t open it this early Phi focused on the other two. To the right of the safe was a computer tablet. Phi picked it up and examined its screen: though the tablet was already switched on it was currently useless, because it only showed a password input screen alongside the cryptic message, ‘Four pieces for the first password. One piece for the second password.’ There were only four characters in the passwords wanted – that was clear from the input section of the screen, but without any other clue to the password Phi couldn’t continue. The final item on the sofa was a binder with a single sheet of paper inside. The title of the paper read ‘How to open the pod room door.’ Phi looked over to Tenmyouji to see if he needed it, but he seemed to be getting along without it perfectly fine.

Instead, Phi continued moving right and, after passing the exit door, came across a potted plant next to an aquarium. Phi bent down to inspect the plant. She couldn’t tell what sort of plant it was; it had wilted so badly that it could have started as anything and its leaves had dried a forlorn-looking brown. Embedded in the stem of the dying plant was a red memory card. Phi tried to retrieve it but it was held tight.

Phi then inspected the aquarium. There were three jellyfish floating inside: two yellow and one purple. The purple jellyfish had a shape bouncing around inside it, but Phi couldn’t make it out through the water. Still, everything in Zero’s puzzles had had a use so far, so the jellyfish in their tank had to be part of the puzzle. Phi wondered about how to get them out. Unfortunately, the lid of the aquarium was locked down tight, with a tiny silver keyhole on the front as the only way to get it open.

Beside the aquarium was a realistically painted portrait of a lion. It appeared to be roaring at something outside the boundary of the frame, but Phi noticed that a significant portion of the image was missing. Right where the lion’s jaw ended was a black circle; Phi felt its edge and realised that an entire disc had been removed. There were some details left – bold orange lines darting out from whatever object was in the missing section – but the removal of the section had left whatever was there completely unknowable.

 

Phi was about to continue on when she noticed that Tenmyouji had moved from where he had been fixated behind her. She turned around to see that the door Tenmyouji had been working on was now wide open: he must have solved the puzzle and entered without telling anyone. Phi entered after him.

She saw Tenmyouji standing over the furthest pod from the door, muttering to himself. “I need to tell Clover and Alice about this. But who was third…?” Then Tenmyouji noticed Phi’s arrival and that she’d overheard what he said; he jumped back, startled. “Oh! Phi!”

Phi frowned curiously. “Interesting. _What_ do you need to tell Clover and Alice about, again?”

“Is it any business of yours?” Tenmyouji folded his arms defensively.

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

“Hmph. If I’d known you were gonna be like this, I wouldn’t have opened up the door for you. You happy?”

Phi didn’t respond. She just stared at the old man intensely.

Eventually, Tenmyouji sighed. “Fine. Just help me look through these pods for anything that can help with the puzzle.” Phi noticed that Tenmyouji didn’t mention searching through the pods for whatever it was that had caused Tenmyouji to think of Alice and Clover.

Phi tried to collate everything she knew or could guess about the pods, in the hope of inferring something, anything, from Tenmyouji’s cryptic statement. This room was the treatment centre and the pods were the only non-mundane thing in the room, so it was probably the pods that accomplished the treatment; they were exactly the right size to contain a human occupant. Phi recalled that Tenmyouji had called them ‘treatment pods’ before he had examined them: had he made the same deduction as Phi had, or had he recognised the pods from the moment they had entered the room?

The first things that drew Phi’s attention were the computer screens to the right of each of the pods. If they would allow her access, the computers were Phi’s best chance of finding more information about the pods. The one closest to Phi was the one on the farthest right, so she approached that one first. The screen displayed a bright uniform white like a screensaver, but when Phi tapped it the only message that was displayed read, ‘Currently undergoing internal maintenance.’ The screen by the middle pod displayed that obstructive message as well.

But the final screen – the one farthest left – was different. Its message read, ‘Maintenance complete. Please insert activation chip.’ A bold arrow on the screen pointed to the bottom right, identifying an empty slot in the bottom right corner. If they could find that activation chip, Phi might actually learn something about the treatment pods.

The three pods themselves had identical setups. Next to the label along the left hand side – reading ‘Treatment Pod’ – was a handle with three possible positions: ‘Open’, ‘Closed’ and ‘Locked’. All of the handles were currently set to closed. At the top of each pod close to the wall was a misted-over window; had they not been so opaque, Phi could have used them to look at the contents of the pods. The only way to tell the pods apart, apart from their locations, was by the number printed on the end of each pod: ‘01’ for the one furthest from the door, then ‘02’, then ‘03’.

Well, not the only way. Pod 01 also had an extra marking, absent from the surfaces of the other two. It was a face of a clock. Unlike the clock outside the pod chamber, this one had hands drawn on it pointing to 7:15. Phi made sure to remember that time.

The only thing to do now was to open up the pods. Phi grasped the handle of pod 01 and turned it.

The lid sprang open. Some spring forcefully opened the pod, nearly carrying Phi with it; she let go of the handle just in time. As she recovered, Phi looked down at the bed of the pod. It was nearly empty, but for a single tiny item resting near the foot of the pod: a white plastic key. Tenmyouji helped Phi force the pod closed; once Phi had dragged the lid down to the bottom Tenmyouji locked it in place with the handle.

Now that they were ready for the rapid motion, opening and closing the pods was simple. Phi retrieved a silver key from pod 02 and also noted that the lid had a clock drawn on the underside of its window, just like the one on the top of pod one but with the hands pointing to 6:20. Phi also noticed, looking at the underside of the lid, that there was a handle accessible from the underside of the lid. Presumably, it was there to allow someone stuck inside the pod to seek a way out; that was more evidence for the theory that these pods were used on people.

Pod 03 had nothing inside it, but Phi noticed several lines engraved on the underside of the lid. They appeared to read ‘11:1’. That didn’t make any sense: there was clearly a time theme to this puzzle with all the other clocks, and ’11:1’ wasn’t a time. Phi put those numbers out of her mind, before they corrupted her memories of the times on the other clocks she had seen, then closed the pod.

 

There was an anguished yelp from the outside area of the treatment centre. Phi and Tenmyouji ran out to find Dio clutching his right foot and leaning sullenly against the wall. At his feet was a potted plant similar to the one that Phi had found next to the aquarium; though this one was clearly alive and healthy, splinters of bark around its stem and on the floor made it clear what Dio had attempted.

“What the hell, Dio?!” Phi shouted at him.

Dio grimaced sulkily. “I’m in pain here and you’re just having a go at me. Course you are. What did I expect?”

Phi pointed her index finger at him. “Think it through, Dio. You hurt your foot trying to kick that plant in half, right? Let me guess: there’s something embedded in its stem that we need.” That was a reasonable guess, by analogy with the other plant. When Dio nodded stubbornly, Phi continued, “So did you, for even one second, consider the possibility that you could have _broken_ the item you were trying to get? Frankly, I’m glad you failed. Don’t expect any sympathy.”

Dio turned away, his flimsy ego clearly bruised. Tenmyouji leant down and righted the plant pot, examining the green memory card embedded in its stem. Once Tenmyouji was sure there was no safe, un-Dio-like, way to remove the memory card, he stood up again. Then, Tenmyouji and Phi noticed something on the wall beside Dio.

“What’s that on the screen, there?” Tenmyouji asked.

A large flat-screen television was mounted on the wall that Dio was leaning against. Displayed on the screen was a grid like the board of a game. Most of the squares contained letters, but the ‘Start’ square was elongated so that the images of four playing pieces could fit in as well. The piece labelled one was a bright bold white; the ones after it were comparably pale so that they nearly faded into the background when Phi wasn’t paying attention to them.

Dio shrugged. “Just some stupid kiddies’ board game.” Then, clearly still nursing his wounded ego, Dio lashed out. “Hey, Tenmyouji. D’you think Quark is brain-dead enough to enjoy rubbish like this. I think so. Am I right, _Grandpa_?”

Tenmyouji leapt at Dio.

Dio raised his hand up and caught the incoming fist firmly and calmly. Dio’s wrist twisted slightly, and Tenmyouji’s forearm with it; though Tenmyouji’s expression wasn’t visible from where Phi was standing, Dio’s smirk showed the pleasure he derived from the physical power he had. Just at the moment Phi stepped forward to intervene, Dio let go, nudging Tenmyouji back. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret, old man.” As Tenmyouji stumbled back and supported himself against the viewing window, Dio straightened himself up and fussily sorted his longcoat back into place. “So, we gonna carry on with this puzzle, or what?” Dio sneered at Tenmyouji, daring him to make anything of what Dio had done.

He didn’t.

 

Phi palmed the two keys she’d found in the treatment pod chamber. One was silver; the other, white. The silver key was exactly the same shade as the keyhole in the lid of the aquarium. So, Phi might at least try it out. She placed the key in the hole and turned it.

As Phi raised the lid, a sudden hiss emanated from the crack. As Phi raised the lid to its highest extent a haze of rising steam distorted the air in front of her, and though it only emerged from a tiny hole on the top of the tank she felt the heat on her forearms as she withdrew them from the lid. The water in the tank was boiling hot. Whatever they were, those ‘jellyfish’ were not biological.

Tenmyouji and Dio crowded round, peering at what Phi had done. She explained.

“We have to get that jellyfish out of the tank. That one, the one in the middle, there, with the thing in it. Yeah, that one. Problem is, the water’s too hot to grab it. I think there’s some way to nudge the tank so that jellyfish floats to the surface, but they’re moving around so much I can’t be sure…”

“Don’t bother,” Tenmyouji stated, “There’s a much easier way to solve this.” Tenmyouji turned to Dio and folded his arms firmly. “Dio here’s a _man_. He can get it for us.”

Dio held his hands up, agitation clear on his face. “What?! I never…”

Tenmyouji interrupted Dio sternly. “If a little bit of hot water’s too much for you, just say so. I’m sure we won’t hold it against you for too long.”

Dio could, and would, break a lot of boundaries without any care for the consequences, but the one thing he couldn’t do was lose face. Grimacing, he advanced on the tank, rolled up his sleeve, and plunged his hand in.

“Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fucking damnit!”

Dio’s arm shot out of the tank, his hand only barely holding on to the jellyfish. His arm whipped around violently; he tossed the jellyfish exasperatedly at Phi. “Take the fucking thing already!” Then he turned to Tenmyouji. “Why the hell did you make me do that?”

Tenmyouji shrugged. “‘Make’? Who says I ‘made’ you do anything? Where I’m standing, you did that of your own free will.”

As Dio staggered off to soothe his burn, Phi examined the artificial jellyfish. It had cooled quickly the moment it was exposed to the open air: tiny vortexes of steam carried away the last of the excess heat. Phi picked up the jellyfish and examined it. The surface was plastic, and without the buoyancy of the water to support it in collapsed inwards from the pressure of Phi’s grip. As Phi tried to right it, the item that was inside the jellyfish fell out and to the floor with a clunk.

It was a circular ceramic tile, painted on one side with bright red streaks. Phi knew exactly where it went. She took the tile over to the painting of the lion and placed it on top of the hole: it was exactly the right size. Just a couple of twists to get it in the right orientation, and the tile slotted into place.

The moment the tile was flush with the surface of the rest of the painting, the entire frame sprung outwards and the painting slid down on rails until it was just above the floor. A recess in the wall was revealed, and out of it shot a beam of red light. Phi turned around to see the laser beam pass through the viewing screen and strike the wall above the third treatment pod, right where the lines had been engraved on it earlier. That explained why those lines hadn’t read as a digital time: they weren’t complete yet.

Phi explained this to Tenmyouji. “Go check on it. I still have one more key to use here.”

As Tenmyouji re-entered the treatment pod chamber, Phi grasped the remaining key – the white, plastic one – and took it to the clock without hands outside the door. That clock had the second keyhole Phi had seen since entering the treatment centre: the white key almost certainly belonged there.

Phi was right. When the white key was placed in its hole the cover of the clock face opened. The curious rectangle inside toppled outwards as its support left, but Phi snapped her hand out precisely and caught it. The rectangle was a computer chip with ‘No. 1’ printed on the side: it had to be the activation chip. Now it was time for Phi to learn the secret of the treatment pods.

 

Activation chip securely held in her hand, Phi re-entered the treatment pod bay. Tenmyouji had opened the third pod so that the laser from the lion portrait lit up the underside of the lid; “Quarter past midnight,” Tenmyouji announced the time that the laser displayed as Phi walked past.

Phi barely acknowledged his contribution. She was fixated on pod number one, the only one whose control panel had declared it useable. Approaching the control panel once more, she inserted the activation chip.

The screen turned blue. Phi read the instructions that it displayed: ‘Before use, this system must be initialised. Please perform the following tests. 1: Treat (vegetation). 2: Freeze (vegetation). Until tests are complete, pod will not function with a human occupant.”

There was some new information to be gleaned from that message. Most curiously, they were required to freeze a plant. Since the treatment pods were intended for use by people, it seemed strange that the pod had the capability to freeze its contents to death. Unless… no, it couldn’t be. Could this pod really be capable of revivable cryonics? It seemed crazy to use such amazing technology merely as a setting for a game, but their kidnapper was nothing if not crazy for starting the Nonary Game in the first place. Phi had to learn more.

It wasn’t as though Phi was planning to use the treatment pod on a person any time soon, but if she wanted the screen to stop obstinately stating the initialisation routine and actually give her useful information she would have to do what it said. “Dio!” Phi shouted – he was still outside the pod chamber, so was closest to what Phi needed – “Bring those plants in here!”

Dio grudgingly complied. He entered the room, haphazardly carrying the two plotted plants by their trunks. Having been defeated by one of the plants earlier, Dio was probably curious to see how the puzzle would let them get the memory cards out of the plants’ stems. Phi took the withered plant from Dio before he could make any disparaging comments, opened up treatment pod number one and rested the plant inside.

The moment the lid closed again, the pod started whirring intensely and an announcement played from speakers behind the control panel. “Identifying subject… done. Diagnosing subject… done. Initiating treatment cycle.”

Phi couldn’t see what was happening, but the sounds made it clear how vigorously the pod was acting on the plant within. She didn’t have long to wait; after only a minute the pod declared, “Treatment completed. Pod opening.”

As the lid rose Phi saw the plant rejuvenated, looking exactly like the healthy one. Whatever treatment the pod had applied, it had worked wonders. Phi lifted the plant upright, and noticed that the red memory card that had been inside it was now free. Presumably, Zero Sr. had programmed the treatment pod to extract it when the players tried to initialise the pod. Dio snatched it up.

Now, they had to go through the same process with the healthy plant, both to let the pod test its freezing capabilities and also to retrieve the green memory card. Once the second plant was in place, Phi closed the lid.

“Identifying subject… done. Diagnosing subject… done. Initiating freeze cycle.” A discordant crackling came from the interior of the pod as the plant began to freeze. Phi could swear that, opaque as it was, the window became even more misted over as water vapour condensed and then immediately froze inside. “Freeze test complete. Pod opening.”

The plant was covered in a fine layer of crystals, its vibrant green replaced by a wintry blue. Once again, the memory card had fallen out of the crevice it had been embedded in. Phi reached forward, ready to move the frozen plant aside to access the card.

The plant shattered.

Revivable cryonics, this was not.

 

Tenmyouji jumped backwards, stuttering. “Wh-What?! They could have _shattered_?! Goddamnit, Zero! You…” Then Tenmyouji remembered Phi and Dio were watching; he forced his hand over his own mouth to stifle his outburst.

He had already said too much. People had been in these pods; frozen in these pods, else Tenmyouji would not have had such a reaction to the results of the freezing test. Just as importantly, Phi now knew that Tenmyouji had known about this from the moment he had seen the treatment pods. ‘I need to tell Clover and Alice about this,’ he had said. So Alice and Clover had been frozen? Phi needed to interrogate Tenmyouji about this.

Before she started, she needed to learn as much as possible, to ensure her questions were as effective as possible. The computer should now work: the pod had been initialised just as it had demanded. Phi advanced on it and thrust her finger at the screen. On the left of the screen was diagnostic information: a skeletal outline of a person and several tables of vital statistics, currently empty because the pod was unoccupied.

But the right hand section of the screen provided information on the cryonic function of the pod. ‘This system is capable of inducing a cold sleep state. Cold sleep state freezes the subject with CAS, preserving cellular structure. During cold sleep state, body functions are suspended. Review recent operation records? Yes/No?’

Phi sternly pressed ‘Yes’.

‘Recent Operational Records.  
‘-07:57: One subject released.  
‘-08:15: One subject successfully restored.  
‘-08:25: Cold sleep mode disengaged – beginning restoration of one subject.  
‘All prior records have been erased – Authorisation: admin.’

That didn’t give Phi any more information, but it did confirm what she already suspected: nearly eight hours ago, someone was revived from this pod. Given the timings, they were almost certainly players in the Nonary Game.

As Phi turned around, she saw Tenmyouji’s expression. He knew that she knew. Before Phi could say anything, Tenmyouji spoke first, “No. I’m not saying anything.”

Phi plunged in regardless. “What’s the connection between you, Alice and Clover?” As Tenmyouji stayed stonily silent, Phi added more incriminating details, trying to tweeze apart Tenmyouji’s defence. “You mentioned earlier that you trusted Clover more than other people for some reason. If you don’t tell me, I’m going to be worried that you’re plotting something.”

Tenmyouji frowned fiercely, but stayed silent.

“Is the fact that Alice and Clover were probably put in cryonic sleep in these pods really so incriminating?” Phi asked rhetorically, “If anything, I’d presume that they’d want people to know: it makes them so less likely to be Zero…”

Tenmyouji yelled furiously, “I can’t tell you! If I tell you too much, Zero Sr. will kill Quark. Are you trying to get him killed? Damn you, Phi. Take a hint, already!”

Phi was knocked backwards by the volume. Before she could recover, Dio chuckled deeply. “Heh. This was entertaining, it really was, but can we finish the puzzle now? I’m getting bored with this dump.” Dio collected the green memory card from where it still lay under the shards of shattered ice, clicked it playfully against the red memory card and then stepped out through the treatment pod bay door.

 Tenmyouji turned to leave as well; without even facing Phi he said, “Stay away from me, Phi. We finish this puzzle, and then we don’t talk again.” Then he was gone.

 

Phi slowly followed them out to see Dio arrogantly patting the two memory cards into their slots on the clock. As he did so, the hands of that handless clock finally appeared: a red hour hand pointing to four o’clock and a green minute hand pointing to five past. That was the fourth clock time they had seen: 7:15, 6:20, 0:15, 4:05.

Phi recalled that the computer tablet wanted a password four letters long. That clearly matched up with the four times they had found. The only question was how to convert them. There was only one other piece of information they hadn’t used yet: the board game. Phi peeked around the corner and looked at the screen with the board on it. As she remembered, there were four counters in the start square with the first one bold and the other three faded out; that perfectly matched the instructions on the tablet, which said, ‘Four pieces for the first password. One piece for the second password.’ Finally, Phi observed the two diagrams in the centre of the board: a clockwise spiral labelled ‘m’ and an anticlockwise spiral labelled ‘h’. Those could only stand for ‘minutes’ and ‘hours’.

“I’ve…” Phi started.

Tenmyouji interrupted her, “If you’re still planning on going on about that, just stop.”

Phi shook her head, and said conciliatorily, “Not that. I’ve worked out the rest of the puzzle. Take this.” Phi placed the tablet in Tenmyouji’s hands, then instructed, “I’ll work out the words it wants. Once I’ve told you, you should be able to open the safe.” Then Phi returned to the board game. She decided to work out the password using only a single playing piece first. She traced, in her head, its path around the board; it spelled out a word. “‘Pour!’” she announced. Then, when she was worried she had been misheard, she clarified, “As in liquid!”

There were a few silent seconds as Tenmyouji entered the word, then a familiar pop as the safe opened, and then came the rustling of papers.

“Hmph. I guess Zero Sr. does want you to know some of this stuff. Fine: have a look at this, Phi, and I hope it answers some of your questions that I can’t.”

Phi returned to the safe and took the golden binder from Tenmyouji. He’d marked it open at one page in particular, so Phi started reading there.

‘The past two Nonary Games. November 2018: Sixteen children were reported missing. In actuality, eighteen children were taken, but two were never reported. The person in charge was someone we will refer to as H. The purpose of the game was to conduct experiments on morphic resonance, with the children as test subjects. I won't go into the specifics here, but the short version is that this was the first Nonary Game.

‘November 1, 2027: A total of nine people participated in this session. They were abducted, just as the children had been, but this time H was not in charge of the game. Clover was a participant in both games, and now she finds herself playing the Nonary Game yet again...’

So, the Nonary Games that Clover had been forced into before did play a role in the motivation behind this Nonary Game. At least, that was Phi guessed from the inclusion of this document in the safe. Phi flipped the page and carried on reading.

‘Nonary Veterans: The following nine people were participants in the second Nonary Game:

‘(1) Ace: Middle-aged man.  
‘(2) Snake: Clover’s older brother. Real name: Light.  
‘(3) Santa: Arrogant, uncooperative young man.  
‘(4) Clover: Still Clover, just younger and with a jacket.  
‘(5) Junpei: Hero of the second Nonary Game.’ Phi wondered how one player in particular could be designated the ‘hero’.  
‘(6) June: Junpei’s childhood friend. Real name: Akane Kurashiki.  
‘(7) Seven: Amnesiac detective.  
‘(8) Lotus: Attractive programmer. Has two daughters, who participated in the first Nonary Game.  
‘(9) Kubota: Skittish man. Got blown up.’

That… wasn’t particularly useful. The descriptions were far too sparse for Phi to get a handle on what had actually happened. Perhaps if someone had actually been there, and needed a reminder, then it would be useful. But if someone had actually take part in a previous Nonary Game, wouldn’t the memories of that game be among their most vivid? It didn’t make any sense.

There was nothing more to glean from the golden files description of previous Nonary Games, beyond Zero Sr.’s general interest in them, so Phi flicked the pages until she came across another article, this one describing the treatment pods. The second document didn’t explain much new, but it did confirm many things Phi had guessed about the pods. For one thing, they were actually capable of reviving someone from cryonic freezing; presumably the plant had shattered because the pod had been sabotaged by Zero to prevent it being used by the players for any tricks Zero hadn’t thought of – Phi had already considered the possibility of using the pod to trick the bracelets into releasing the players, which was just one of many possibilities cut away by making the pod too dangerous to use.

 

“Phi! Can we have the other password, already?!” Dio called out grumpily.

Phi acquiesced. This time she visualised each of the four playing pieces moving around the game-board; this swiftly yielded the password. “‘Past!’” Phi announced.

Tenmyouji inputted that word into the tablet; shortly after the safe opened once more. Tenmyouji was the first to look inside; the moment his eyes had taken in the contents his hand darted inside. It returned to Tenmyouji’s chest just as quickly, clutching an injection gun closely to his chest; his arms wrapped around it, as though he expected it to be taken from him at any moment.

“What is that?” Phi asked.

Tenmyouji shook his head warily. “Too dangerous. I have no idea what is in here, and if it fell into the wrong hands… Don’t blame me for not trusting either of you with it.” Tenmyouji buried the injection gun deeply in his pocket; even then he stood with his hand hovering nervously over it.

“Fine,” Phi conceded, “Show me the other stuff in there, then.”

Tenmyouji reached in again and drew out two keycards; he passed Phi hers and kept the other for himself. Phi’s keycard was almost identical to the one which had started the first Ambidex Game, but this one had a drawing of the sun on it instead.

After the keycards came a map. Tenmyouji studied it intently, and Phi looked over his shoulder to do the same. This map showed the second floor: ‘Floor B’. Phi could see that the rooms on this floor were arranged into four groups, corresponding to the three Chromatic Doors, red, green and blue, as well as another large room – presumably another warehouse – and other rooms behind it that couldn’t be accessed until one of the puzzles was solved. The exit door out of the treatment centre led to a long winding corridor that would eventually take them to that warehouse.

There was only one more piece of paper in the safe. Tenmyouji read it out loud; it was a message from Zero. “‘Hare are some more AB Game rules for you! Not voting is not an hoption. If both parties refuse to vote, then everybunny gets penalised!’”

As Tenmyouji finished reading, Dio scoffed. “Heh. Why would anyone choose not to vote? That’s just stupid. Looks like we don’t have to worry about this rule at all.”

Phi disagreed. Making sure no-one voted, so that everyone’s votes were set to ‘Ally’, was one of the easiest ways to dodge the prisoner’s dilemma. Of course, Zero had thought of that and prevented it, just as he had prevented them from tricking the bracelets using cold sleep.

The final item in the safe was the key to the exit door. Tenmyouji took it out and passed it to Phi. She took it silently to the exit door, thinking intently. She had to mull over what had happened: what Tenmyouji had said about the pods, and how he had held his tongue when Phi had pressed for more details. She turned the key in the lock without conscious thought; instead, she had to ponder the implications of at least some of the players having been stored in cold sleep. As she stepped through the exit door, she turned her head and gazed back toward the treatment pods; she had to find a way to discuss the matter with Alice and Clover, the two most likely candidates for having been frozen, without drawing Tenmyouji’s ire. And she had to…

“Oof!”

Phi’s thoughts were disrupted when she walked head first into Sigma, coming the other way.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_There's a lesson in this chapter: when you're having trouble writing, do something funny to Dio._

 


	37. Cold War

“Oof!”

Sigma seemed as surprised to walk into Phi as she was to walk into him. “Whoa! What’re you guys doing here?” he exclaimed.

Behind Phi, Tenmyouji and Dio also emerged from the treatment centre; opposite them, Luna and Alice followed Sigma through the door opposite, through which Phi could glimpse an expansive, brightly lit room. The six players gathered inside the cramped hub that joined the two rooms.

Dio, responding to Sigma’s question, shrugged. “We oughta be asking you the same thing. How’d you get here?

Alice sighed, then tapped Sigma on the shoulder. “Sigma, hand me the map.” When Sigma complied, passing across a folded-up map identical to the one Phi, Tenmyouji and Dio had taken from the treatment centre safe, Alice quickly expanded it and traced her finger across it confidently. She let out a triumphant gasp. “See! We’re here,” Alice said definitively, laying the map out in front of them and laying her finger down on one of the many small rooms depicted. “You three went through the green door and searched this room, yes?” Alice demonstrated a path on the map that resembled the one that Phi, Tenmyouji and Dio had taken to reach the treatment centre, then showed how the exit led to the hub she had indicated earlier. “It’s the only way we could have met up so quickly.”

“Which room did you go into, again?” Tenmyouji asked.

“This fan-shaped one.” Sigma leaned past Alice and pointed it out. “It’s called the ‘B. Garden’. It’s this big dome with a bunch of plants in it. Look, you can go see it yourself later, alright?”

Luna tilted her head, peering past Phi, Tenmyouji and Dio. “What about you guys?” she asked.

Tenmyouji answered, “Well, after we went through the green door we ended up in the treatment centre.”

Alice asked, “So, what’s the treatment centre?”

In that moment, Phi saw Tenmyouji’s and Alice’s eyes connect. She recalled the way Tenmyouji had wanted to tell Clover and Alice about the pods in the treatment centre, and how he had skittishly evaded any attempts to discuss them with anyone else. Was he about to try and inform Alice?

Alice continued, still maintaining eye contact with Tenmyouji, “That sounds… a lot like the infirmary.”

“You wanna have a look?” Dio barged in, “We can go back to any room we’ve already visited, so why not do it now?” Dio banged the flat of his palm against the frame of the treatment centre door, causing the door to once again rise open. “So?”

Tenmyouji, seizing on an opportunity, added to Dio’s suggestion. “It’s worth a look. Trust me, it’s nothing like the infirmary.”

Sigma, Luna and Alice agreed that it sounded interesting. Thus, only minutes after they had left, Phi found the players returning to the treatment centre.

 

Once they arrived, Tenmyouji led Sigma, Luna and Alice into the chamber containing the bay of treatment pods and started explaining their functions, both as healing devices and as cryonic storage. Phi assisted, as much to maintain an excuse to stay near the conversation as anything else. The question was: could Phi extract any information from Alice before Tenmyouji tipped her off and they got their stories straight? Phi decided to make the attempt sooner rather than later.

“According to the records we found here, until about eight hours ago there were three people frozen in these pods,” Phi stated boldly.

No sign of recognition from Alice.

“We don’t know who,” Phi continued, “All we found was what was in the logs for these pods.”

Before Phi could carry on, Tenmyouji tried to wrest away control of the conversation. “We’ve no idea how long they were in there. Most of the logs were erased. All that’s left is when the cold sleep function turned off. It records them thawing out, getting up… and that’s it.”

Alice turned her head away with a concerned expression on her face. “Then they could be anyone…”

“Hmph!” Tenmyouji grunted, so loudly that Alice swung her head back round to face him. Tenmyouji paused significantly, then said, “Well, anyone but you.”

What was this? Some sort of opposite code, maybe, where Tenmyouji’s strangely stated denial was supposed to clue Alice into the fact that she had actually been frozen? Given the strange secret Alice and Clover appeared to share, Phi wouldn’t be surprised if Alice had used such improvised codes before. Or was Phi overthinking this? She had to keep listening, even as her opportunity slipped through her fingers.

Tenmyouji continued, still placing unnatural, stilted stress on every single syllable. “You don’t need a device like this to freeze Alice. Am I wrong? Your entire body is made out of something called Ice-9.”

Tenmyouji spun a fantastical story about how this so-called ‘Ice-9’ would freeze at only just below the temperature of the human body. Phi could only guess that the ridiculousness of this story was intended to reinforce the implication that Tenmyouji’s first statement was false as well; this was another attempt by Tenmyouji to make Alice realise she had been one of those frozen.

Suddenly, something clicked behind Alice’s eyes. Slowly, a deep chuckle built from deep within her throat. “Where… did you hear that?”

“From Clover,” was Tenmyouji’s response.

Alice’s chuckle exploded into a resounding laugh. “Oh man, you really fell for that one, hook, line and sinker didn’t you.” Alice had much more control over her voice than Tenmyouji did, but Phi could still perceive an extra layer of communication to that sentence. Phi could only interpret it as, ‘Message received.’ Alice kept speaking, and the double meanings kept flowing. “Clover was messing with you. That is if she even said anything to you at all? It was a lie, a joke. It’s a ridiculous misunderstanding, an urban legend.

“What happened was, quite close to the end of the 19th century, a team of archaeologists found an ancient Egyptian Queen. For some reason, her body had been entirely frozen, so the archaeologists referred to her as ‘All-Ice’, which eventually shortened to ‘Alice’. It’s hardly an inappropriate name; after all, she must have been nearly as dignified as I am.

“In any case, her body refused to thaw, even in the scorching Egyptian sun, and that’s where the urban legends started. People started to say that she must have been made out of some special sort of ice, Ice-9.

“But then the weirder urban legends say that she did thaw eventually and, hear this, that the mummy began to move. And ever since then, I’ve had people say that they thought _I_ was her. I mean, really, how could anyone believe something so ridiculous?”

“Why would people make that mistake about you in particular?” Sigma asked. He appeared to have entirely missed the undercurrents.

“It can’t just be because your name is ‘Alice’,” Dio added, “There are tons of Alices.”

Luna spoke up, “Is it because of your face, and how you dress?”

“Well, it is true that I am both beautiful and elegant. Can I really be blamed if people think I’m an ancient Egyptian Queen? I don’t think that’s the only reason, though. Someone who made that mistake said something to me once. They claimed they had seen me before. In fact, I began to feel a little sorry for them. So I told them, ‘If you’re so convinced, then maybe I am actually All-Ice. But maybe I’ve lost my memory and can’t remember being frozen for thousands of years…’”

That was the final piece of the puzzle. Alice was telling Tenmyouji, as directly as she could manage given the onlookers, that she had no memory of ever being frozen in that pod. Whether it was true or false, Phi didn’t know. What was worse, she no longer had any way to find out; Alice now knew enough to concoct whatever story she needed. The opportunity had slipped from Phi’s grasp.

Alice concluded, “I’m still not sure why Clover would tell you something like that, though. Even if she was just messing with you, it seems a little out of left field.”

So, there was still a chance. Alice didn’t appear to have comprehended why Tenmyouji had included Clover in his story; she hadn’t realised that Clover also had been frozen. That meant Phi had one last chance to squeeze the story out of someone not in the loop. She had one last chance to interrogate Clover before she was informed by either Alice or Tenmyouji.

Dio said, “Do you really think she put that much thought into it? She was probably just screwing with him, and it was the first thing that came to mind. Maybe she wanted to see if she could get him to believe something ridiculous.”

Alice nodded. “Heh… yeah. I could see her doing something like that.” There was a drawn out pause as everyone tried to digest what had been said. Then, Alice strode towards the exit door. “Well, I think that’s enough idle gossip for now. The cold sleep business is interesting, but I don’t think it’s terribly useful. We should go and see if the other team has returned to the warehouse yet.” Alice turned and left. Phi chased after her. She had to reach Clover first if she was going to get anything out of the situation.

 

After returning to the hub between the treatment centre and the B. garden, the six players went down a corridor that swung around the area the garden occupied. They arrived in a large warehouse, almost an exact copy of the one on the upper floor except for a few notable differences. Firstly, it lacked the Ambidex Rooms that were such a significant feature of the previous warehouse. Along the wall that the AB Rooms should have occupied were three brightly glowing white doors: they had to be the next set of Chromatic Doors. The warehouse also lacked the Number Nine Door, and though there was a large metal door in the same place, it had almost completely rusted over to the point of being unmovable. Plus, where the Number Nine Door had attached to it a lever meant to open it, this door had no controls at all.

There wasn’t anything else the players could learn from this warehouse, and with all three of Tenmyouji, Alice and Phi antsy to return to the upper floor and corner Clover first, the players quickly left the warehouse and took a shortcut indicated by the map that returned them to the base of the elevator shaft. The six players took the elevator up together and from there returned to the first warehouse. There, they saw K, standing alone.

“Oh, thank goodness!” K boomed the moment the six players arrived, “You’ve finally returned! I was beginning to get anxious.”

“Did something happen?” Sigma asked.

“Yes.” K moved his gauntleted hand over his chest worrifully. “It’s Quark, you see. He…”

Tenmyouji’s eyes went wide. “What? What happened to Quark?!”

The moment Tenmyouji was distracted, Dio sauntered towards him. With a quick, viper-like strike, he snatched Tenmyouji’s Ambidex Keycard away; in the same motion he swiped it through the lock of the nearest door. “I thought you lot were gonna be too long – you know, ‘Blah blah Quark, blah blah emergency,’ – so I thought I’d speed this along a bit.”

“Dio!” Tenmyouji growled at Dio. Then, he caught himself. “No, there’s no time for that. K, tell me what happened to Quark.”

K answered, “He collapsed.”

Tenmyouji sprang forwards, racing towards the yellow door. He had made the connection as quickly as Phi had: if Quark was in medical danger, the best place that K and Clover knew to take him was the infirmary. That perfectly explained why Clover and Quark were absent, and why K had waited for the rest of the players alone.

Almost guiltily, Phi was relieved that Tenmyouji had been distracted like this. Now that Tenmyouji’s focus was on Quark, and with Alice apparently still not clear on what Clover had to do with the treatment pods, this was Phi’s best chance to interrogate Clover first. Phi’s feet carried her forward after Tenmyouji, still unsure of whether her haste came from concern for Quark, or eagerness to find Clover who had to be watching over him.

Phi arrived in the infirmary to find Tenmyouji standing over the hospital bed that contained Quark, desperately shaking the unconscious boy by his shoulders. “Quark! C’mon, kid! Get ahold of yourself!” Tenmyouji shouted hoarsely.

Clover was, as expected, already there; she struggled to interpose herself between Tenmyouji and Quark. “H-Hey! What are you doing?!” Clover exclaimed as she tugged on Tenmyouji’s elbows, “He’s sick, and we don’t even know what’s wrong with him! What if you’re making him worse?!”

Tenmyouji’s shaking arms gradually wound down till they stopped. He looked Clover in the eye, the beginnings of tears forming in his own. “Then what am I supposed to do? I have to save him.”

By then, all the other players had arrived: K led Sigma, Alice, Luna and Dio into the infirmary. The gravity of Quark’s situation was immediately clear to all of them.

Except Dio. “‘Save? That seems a little extreme. Maybe he just has anaemia or something?”

Tenmyouji glared at Dio furiously. “No, that’s not it,” Tenmyouji growled, “I know him better than any of you. He doesn’t have anaemia. He’s never just… collapsed before.”

Dio shrugged. “Well then. Call an ambulance and stop freaking out about it.”

“You son of a bitch! This is serious!” Tenmyouji clenched his fists at Dio, but didn’t do anything.

Phi glanced at a machine that had been attached to the bed that Quark lay in. “The infirmary seems pretty well equipped. There are plenty of diagnostic tools, but…” Phi had no idea how to use them. Simple first aid was, of course, well within her grasp, but to get anything more out of the equipment, they would need a proper expert.

“Well, we’ve got Luna,” Sigma said. As all eyes turned to him, and Luna shrunk backwards modestly, Sigma explained, “Luna has a medical license. She told me that earlier.”

Frowning, Phi asked, “Wait, really? Is that true, Luna?”

Luna held her hands up in front of her face bashfully. “Um, well, yes, but…”she stuttered.

Tenmyouji wheeled around and held out his arms pleadingly. “You have to take a look at him, then! Please! Quark needs your help!”

“Okay. I’ll see what I can do.” Luna gently motioned Tenmyouji aside, then switched on a machine right next to Quark’s bed. “I think this machine is a medical scanner. It’s called an ‘ADAM’. It uses nuclear magnetic resonance imaging…”

Phi interrupted. “I don’t want to rush you, but the sooner the better, Luna. Just let us know if you need anything.”

“Of course.” Luna retrieved a scanning attachment from its storage slot in the ADAM, then waved it precisely and thoroughly over Quark’s body. Once she was done diagnosing Quark she stared at the screen, turning deathly pale as she read the results. “I… I know what’s wrong with him. I feel so terrible saying this, but… Quark has an infection. A viral infection. Radical-6.”

So the newspaper had been telling the truth. There was no way to get around it. Even if the ADAM was also lying, it was too much to believe that Quark had coincidently succumbed to another debilitating disease.

Tenmyouji sunk to his knees beside the bed. “Quark can’t be… There must be something we can do! How can we cure him?!”

Luna read the results of the ADAM once more, double-checking everything it said. “The ADAM says that there’s an anti-viral serum called Axelavir. It’s the only way to counteract Radical-6. If we can inject him with some, he should… he should be okay.”

“Where is it?!” Tenmyouji yelled, “Shouldn’t it be in the infirmary somewhere?” His face swung quickly between Dio and Luna, the two people still conscious among those that had first explored the infirmary.

Dio shook his head. “We looked around, but we didn’t see anything like that.”

Tenmyouji cut him off. “I don’t trust a damn thing you say! I’m asking Luna!”

“I’m sorry, but…”      

Tenmyouji let out a primal yell and scrambled over to the medicine cabinet opposite Quark’s bed. He rummaged through it, quickly taking in all the words on the labels. None of them were ‘Axelavir’. He turned back to the other players. “Damnit… What about the other rooms? Sigma, what about you? Did you find anything?!”

Sigma shook his head. “No nothing like medicine. I mean, it was just, like, a park. Lot’s of vegetation and stuff, but… no medicine.”

Then K described the room he, Clover and Quark had explored. “We visited the laboratory. There were a number of chemicals and concoctions there, some of which were medicine, but nothing like what we’re searching for, I’m afraid.”

Tenmyouji collapsed against the wall and slid down to the floor. “Then Quark’s… he’s going to… Oh God no…”

Sigma gestured awkwardly. “Look, just to be sure… Tenmyouji, Dio, Phi, the three of you went to the treatment centre, right? And you’re _sure_ it wasn’t there?”

Phi sighed. “No, there was nothing even remotely like it. We showed you around, remember? The only things in the treatment centre are those treatment pods.”

“That’s it!” Sigma yelled, “If we put Quark in one of those pods…!”

 

Before anyone could comment on Sigma’s solution, Luna spoke hesitantly. “Quark?” The boy was standing stiffly beside the bed, a weary and vacant expression marring his once cheerful face.

Tenmyouji recovered instantly from his grief, leaping up from where he had sunk and joyfully crossing the room towards Quark. He shouted, “Quark! Oh, thank God! You’re awake!”

That joy didn’t last.

“Get away from me!” Before anyone could react, Quark yelled inhumanly. His hands swept up purposefully, and Phi suddenly saw that Quark clenched a scalpel between them, the blade aimed directly towards his own chest. “I’m sorry Grandpa,” he muttered, “I have… have to… I have to escape. Like this!”

Quark drove the scalpel in towards himself. Phi didn’t react in time; she was frozen by shock. Sigma was not. He leapt across the intervening space and grabbed Quark’s hand at the last moment, throwing them both across the bed. Quark struggled, his entire body shaking furiously under Sigma’s grasp, but though Sigma was old, he held on tight.

It took the others a moment to realise what exactly had happened, but before long Phi, K and Dio were also restraining Quark, and with the pressure relieved from Sigma he was able to force the scalpel all the way away from Quark, Alice knocking it safely out of his hand. Quark’s shouts were getting increasingly shrill and frantic, and it was clear that Quark would not calm down. There were only two possible ways this would end. One was not tolerable. The other…

“Luna! Are there any tranquilisers in here?” Phi asked, “Hit him with some!”

Luna arrived next to her wielding an injection gun. After an intense effort to immobilise Quark’s leg, Luna struck, injecting the contents of the gun into the thigh. After a few agonising seconds Quark relaxed; he soon fell mercifully unconscious.

Luna checked the screen of the ADAM once more. “Respiration, blood pressure, brainwaves… Everything’s normal. According to these readings, he’s in a very deep sleep. He should be alright for now.”

“What about the anaesthetic?” Phi asked, “How long will it last?”

“He shouldn’t wake up for a few hours,” Luna replied.

Dio started pacing about the infirmary, flexing his arms. “Man, he sure was strong for such a little guy.”

Luna explained, “I think that might be the virus’s fault. It probably attacks the part of the brain that governs reason. Without anything to hold it back, his body was using every ounce of strength he had.”

“So when Quark tried to kill himself, was that because of Radical-6 too?” Clover asked.

Luna agreed that it probably was. She asked the others if they had heard anything about Radical-6. One by one, they explained that they knew only that which had been explained by the newspaper article found in the infirmary, until…

 

Tenmyouji gasped. “U-Uh… What are you doing?”

Phi turned around and saw what Tenmyouji was reacting to. Alice stood right in front of the exit door, which had opened behind her; she stood stiffly and with an empty, hollow expression that was all too reminiscent of Quark’s. In her hand was clenched the scalpel she had taken from Quark. Phi was hardly the only one who had noticed; the seven players formed a wary semicircle around Alice, all of them staring at her. None of them could bring themselves to speak first.

“We’re going to die…” Alice muttered.

“Huh?” Luna took a step towards Alice, but Alice’s right arm twitched, the tip of the scalpel moving ever-so-slightly upwards, and Luna froze.

“We’re all dead already…” Alice continued, “Only terrorists would resort to biological warfare like this… But they will… soon.”

“Hey, what the hell are you talking about?” Dio asked exasperatedly.

Alice’s voice dipped to a soft, breathy whisper. “You don’t understand?” Then, her entire face contorted as her mouth gaped opened to its fullest extent. Alice roared, “All of humanity is going to die! The virus will spread! Adults! Children! Everyone! Everyone! There won’t be anyone left! I’d… I’d rather die here!”

For a moment, Alice didn’t move. It seemed as though her outburst had ended.

Then Alice took a single step back. The door closed in front of her; only the rapid, echoing footsteps gave any indication of Alice’s flight.

Alice had gone, taking the scalpel with her.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_It's probably clear from the start of this chapter that I'm not a fan of the whole 'Alice=All-Ice' theory. Alice is more than interesting enough without it, and it basically ruins all her motivation: e.g. her father. It's a nice joke, but when a joke comes at the cost of the story it needs to be quickly excised._


	38. Come in from the Cold

Sigma was the first out of the infirmary after Alice, pausing only to allow the door time to automatically open before him, but Phi wasn’t far behind. She broke into a ferocious sprint, only to be brought up short when she caught up with Sigma. He was standing frozen at the intersection between the exit to the infirmary and the corridor that connected all the upper floor rooms; both doorways were closed, blocking sight in both directions.

“Sigma! Which way did Alice go?!” Phi asked forcefully.

“Agh! I don’t know which way she went,” Sigma replied.

“You don’t know?!” Phi groaned, “You were closest to her! You should have kept up.”

As she said that, the rest of the players emerged from the infirmary, Dio at the head. “You lost her?!” Dio blurted out as he saw them standing there. The other players, seeing Phi and Sigma standing still, also slowed down; all their momentum had been squandered.

Phi took charge. “Let’s split up and look. Quickly! She can’t have gotten too far.” Phi scratched her chin, trying to think of the best strategy should one of the players find Alice. “Look… if you find her, it’s best not to shout or anything. Just… do your best not to provoke her. Understood?”

 

They did. Phi broke into a sprint, going left. If Alice had gone to the elevator, she could escape into the labyrinthine lower floor. They would need as many players as possible to catch her. It appeared that the other players agreed with Phi. Sigma disappeared off into the lounge, but Clover, Luna, K and Dio joined Phi in the elevator and they took it down together.

Clover was shaking. “Please… please… we’ve gotta find her. I don’t know what I’d do… without her.”

Luna took Clover’s arm and held it tenderly. “It’ll be okay, Clover. We’ll find her. We’re all working together on this, right?!”

Phi and K nodded. Dio shrugged.

“See?” Luna said, “We’re all going to help you find her.”

The elevator doors opened, and the players spilled out. Phi saw Luna go left through the green door and Clover head right towards the red door so she took the remaining option, darting straight forward through the blue door, letting her adrenaline carry her along. As she reached a corner in the corridor, a door automatically opened in front of her, revealing the shortcut between the elevator and the Floor B warehouse. Phi had been through there before, and it would probably be easier to find Alice if she had gone that way, given that she already knew the layout.

Phi charged down the shortcut and found herself in the warehouse as expected. Since she was coming the other way, she noticed one detail she’d missed earlier. On the wall to Phi’s left was some blood-red graffiti, inscribed in the same style as the graffiti upstairs. It was much longer, and Phi didn’t have time to read it.

Other than that, though, there was one key difference. Where Phi had entered before alongside many of the other players, now she entered alone.

Alice wasn’t there.

Apart from the Chromatic Doors and the shortcut Phi had entered by, there were two other doors out of the warehouse, on the left beside the graffiti. Phi ran towards them. Only the route that led back to the treatment centre and B. garden opened, so Phi continued on down it.

 

As Phi sprinted down yet another winding corridor, she began to feel her breath catching in her throat. She had been running at her limit for so many minutes, looking for Alice. If Phi hadn’t found her… that had to mean one of the others had found her. But Phi couldn’t stop running.

As Phi rounded the corner and came upon the doors to the treatment centre and the B. gardens, she skidded to a halt. Phi had to make a choice of which room to search next. Then, her choice was made for her. A hoarse, anguished voice yelled from within the gardens.

Alice’s voice.

Frantic, Phi burst into the B. garden. Once inside, Phi rapidly scanned the area, looking for Alice.

She couldn’t have gotten far in here. The ‘sky’ above the garden was, in fact, a ceiling, with the thin gaps between them betraying the hexagonal panels that made it up; where the sky descended it became a solid wall, keeping them inside.

Phi ignored the details of the plants in front of her; they mattered only as places where Alice could be concealed. Phi’s eyes followed the stream that flowed under and around the wooden walkway they were standing on until it drained into a pond in the far corner. No sign of Alice along it either.

As Phi took in all the details of the B. garden, she felt her skin crawl. Something was not quite right about this place. It was trying too hard to look like a natural, real garden; it was a room that couldn’t be trusted. Phi’s unease compounded with her fears for Alice until…

“Stay away from me!” Alice yelled. Phi turned to see Alice standing half-concealed in the shadow of a cliff made of stacked boulders. She seemed frozen, pulled in different directions by contradictory urges. The moment Alice’s and Phi’s eyes met, Alice raised her arm, brandishing the scalpel. “I… don’t know what I’m going to do…” Alice trailed off.

Phi had to try to disarm Alice without provoking her. She took a small step forwards. “Alice…”

Alice interrupted, “I said: don’t get any closer!” Once Phi had stopped, Alice continued, “I just need to get out of here. I can’t take it anymore. This…” Alice swished the scalpel. “…is the quickest way.”

“Alice…” Phi said cautiously. When it didn’t trigger a reaction, Phi carried on emboldened, “It’s not the only way. You’re on six BP. That means you can…”

“Don’t you think I know that?!” Alice snapped. She was trembling. “I keep thinking that to myself, trying to make myself believe there’s another way out. But it won’t stick! It’s like something’s controlling my thoughts, wiping away the ones it doesn’t like. I don’t know what to do. I don’t! Know! What! To! Do!”

There was a brief pause.

Then Alice raised the scalpel above her head.

Phi started running forward, knowing that she was far too far away to intervene.

Alice grimaced; her fist containing the scalpel shook fretfully… and then she dropped the blade, harmlessly, to the floor.

Alice’s other hand shot out to a control panel next to the rocky cliff. Quickly, almost instinctively, she tapped out a code on the buttons there. With a rushing gurgle, a jet of water spouted over the top of the boulders, turning the cliff into a rippling waterfall that drenched Alice’s back. As the icy-cold water soaked into her, all the tension was washed away from Alice’s face.

“That… feels better,” Alice mumbled softly. She stumbled out of the waterfall and fell into an exhausted kneel. Finally, with a fading groan, Alice collapsed entirely. She was unconscious.

Phi finally reached Alice, too late to make a difference. Just to make sure, she kicked the scalpel further away from Alice’s hand, then efficiently checked her vital signs. It looked like Alice was going to survive.

 

“Alice!” Sigma’s hoarse yell came from behind Phi about five minutes later.

Phi hadn’t been able to move Alice far by herself; she’d settled for getting Alice out of the spray of the waterfall and making her more comfortable. “Oh, there you are. Good,” Phi said, keeping her tone neutral. She’d had some time to steady her nerves after the frantic chase, but she was still worried that some of her latent anxiety would show through. “I’m glad you showed up. I’ll need your help to get her to the infirmary.”

“Then she’s, uh… alive?” Sigma asked.

Phi nodded. “Her breathing and pulse seem normal. She didn’t manage to wound herself either: at least, no obvious wounds. She’s just unconscious.”

“What about the scalpel?” Sigma asked.

“I got it away from her,” Phi replied. Then, since Sigma hadn’t yet moved to help her carry Alice, she commanded, “Anyway, we need to get her back to the infirmary. Give me a hand here.”

Phi lifted up Alice’s head, while Sigma took the weight of Alice’s legs. They had barely started towards the doors when they were interrupted. Drawn by their raised voices, Clover had arrived.

“Alice!” Clover shrieked. She bounded towards them, crossing the distance in less than a second. “Get off her!” she yelled into Phi’s ear, deafening her. Clover muscled Phi aside, somehow so skilfully that Alice wasn’t jolted at all. Then, Clover peered into Alice’s vacant eyes. “What happened to her? What did you do to her?!”

“She’s just unconscious,” Sigma replied. Withering under Clover’s sudden glare, he continued, “Don’t ask me. Phi’s the one who found her.”

Clover’s stare swept round to Phi. “You! How could you let her get like this?!”

Phi placed her hands on her hips and turned her head away. “Well, it’s better than the alternative.”

“How could you say that?! It’s… It’s… It’s… Yeah, you’re right…” Clover let out a deep sigh as she turned back to Alice and bowed her head so their cheeks lightly touched. “Alice… Alice… ” Clover trailed off into an incoherent moan.

Looking at them, Phi was briefly reminded that Alice and Clover had been two of the players who’d been frozen in the treatment pods. She recalled her intention to interrogate Clover before her story could be contaminated by Alice or Tenmyouji. This was the perfect opportunity. Phi decided on the perfect way to phrase her question, and opened her mouth.

And then, she couldn’t ask it.

Seeing Clover there, tearfully clutching Alice, Phi couldn’t ask it.

“Come on,” Phi said instead, “Let’s get back. The others are probably getting worried about us.”

 

Phi followed Sigma and Clover as they carried Alice back to the elevator. Soon after, they were back in the infirmary, where they were greeted with relief by the rest of the players.

“You found her!” Luna exclaimed. She gestured at the ADAM. “Please, bring her over here.” Once Sigma had laid Alice out on the ADAM’s bed, Luna took another injection gun full of Soporil Beta and injected Alice just as she had injected Quark. “Just in case…” Luna muttered.

Then, she started scanning. After about a minute of waving the scanning attachment over Alice, Luna turned around and raised her voice.

“Please pay attention, everyone! You need to hear this. The ADAM has finished scanning Alice. Her results are identical to Quark’s. She has also been infected with Radical-6.”

There was a short, strained gasp from Clover. “Oh no… No! What’s going to happen to her?!”

“Well, like I said before,” Luna said, “there’s only one way to cure Radical-6. The special anti-viral treatment, Axelavir.”

Clover ran up to Alice’s bed, only barely able to keep herself standing beside it. “No… No… Oh Alice… I don’t want you to die! Please… You can’t die! I don’t want to be alone.”

As Clover grieved, Phi had an idea. “What about the treatment pods? What would happen if we placed Alice and Quark in them?”

Luna sighed, placing her head in her hand. “I thought of that, too, so I went and took a closer look at them. Unfortunately…”

“They can’t cure it,” Sigma concluded.

Luna nodded. “Correct. They can suppress the symptoms for a while, but they can’t kill the virus itself. The only way we can help Alice and Quark is if we can find some Axelavir.”

Tenmyouji pointed a desperate finger at Luna. “But the pods will keep them from getting any worse, right? What are we waiting for?”

Tenmyouji quickly lifted Quark off the bed and marched towards the door. As he did so, Quark’s coat flopped open and something fell out of the pocket and towards the floor: a vial of purple liquid. Sigma dived towards it; he caught it only an inch before it would have smashed.

“Is this…medicine?” Sigma muttered as he stood back up. He turned the vial over and read the label. “‘Axelavir’…”

“You found it!” Luna exclaimed, “That’s the one thing that can cure Radical-6!”

“Uh. Why did Quark have it?” Dio asked.

K gestured thoughtfully. “Perhaps he found it earlier? We explored the laboratory, on the other side of the red door. I happened to notice Quark putting something in his pocket, shortly after he opened the safe. I did not have the opportunity to ask about it, as he collapsed immediately afterwards. It didn’t feel… appropriate… to go digging around in his pockets for it after that. To be honest, it slipped my mind. We were rather preoccupied with getting him to the infirmary as quickly as possible.”

“Who cares about the details?” Tenmyouji snapped, “We have it!” Tenmyouji laid Quark back down on the bed. “Hurry up and give it to him, Luna!”

Clover charged between Tenmyouji and Luna. “Hey, hold on a minute! What about Alice?”

“Does it really matter if she goes first or not?” Tenmyouji said.

Luna spoke up. “Um… I’m sorry, but… I think it does. There’s only enough here… for one person.”

The moment the words had left Luna’s mouth, Tenmyouji and Clover were glaring hatefully at each other. They looked ready to fight – perhaps even kill – to claim the single dose of Axelavir for their own.

Trying to defuse the tension, Phi rummaged through Quark’s clothes, hoping to find a second dose that would resolve the dilemma. She didn’t.

“Do you think there might be more back in the laboratory?” Sigma asked. Like Phi, he must have realised that the situation was poised on a razor-sharp edge.

Once again, the attempt to solve the problem failed. K quickly indicated that there had been no other vials in the laboratory. Having dispelled their hopes, K pointed at the vial of Axelavir in Sigma’s hand and solemnly stated the problem they had. “So who do we give it to? Alice? Or Quark?”

Sigma roared, “What the hell is this? There’s no way we’re only going to save just the one of them!”

“Then what do you want us to do?” Phi asked.

“Do I have to spell it out? We’re going to save them both!”

Phi sighed. “Just demanding it isn’t going to make it happen. So, Sigma: how?”

And then, just as Phi had given up on getting a reply from Sigma, his eyes glazed over. He looked just like he had when he’d prophesised the antimatter bomb.

“The laboratory…” Sigma murmured. Then, life returned to Sigma’s eyes and he started walking purposefully towards the exit door. “That’s it! I’ve got it! The IG Replicator in the laboratory! It can copy antibodies! That means we can make more Axelavir!”

K scratched his chin curiously. “Hold on. There is a strange device in the laboratory that says ‘IG Replicator’ on it.”

“We never could figure out what it did, though,” Clover said.

K continued, “Exactly. My question is… how do _you_ know about it, Sigma?”

Sigma stuttered. “I saw it. When I was in…” he trailed off.

K had hit the nail on the head. When had Sigma ever entered the laboratory? He’d searched the B. gardens during the previous round, then bumped into Phi the moment he’d finished. They’d returned to the upper floor together, going nowhere near the laboratory. There was a possibility – just a slight one – that Sigma had gone there during the search for Alice; even then, it didn’t really make sense. Sigma had searched the upper floor first, and then been the second after Phi to arrive at B. gardens and find Alice there. The timing of it didn’t work.

Also, when had Sigma ever been an expert on cutting edge biochemistry?

Those objections didn’t matter, however. If Sigma was right, they now had an opportunity to cure both Alice and Quark. They had to take it.

“Let’s go have a look, then,” Phi commanded.

 

Luna stayed behind to keep an eye on Alice and Quark, while everyone else headed to the laboratory at a brisk pace. When they arrived, Sigma flourished at a symmetrical device in the centre of the room: it was the IG Replicator, just as Sigma had predicted. Sigma carefully placed the vial of Axelavir in one slot in the machine, checked the vial in the opposite slot, then turned back to the crowd of players.

“Ready? When I push this button, it should…”

“Skip it,” Tenmyouji growled, “Just press the damn thing.”

Groaning at the interruption, Sigma complied. The machine whirred furiously, even beginning to rattle the table it sat on, but it soon subsided. The IG Replicator had finished. Sigma took both vials out of the machine and compared them with some satisfaction. Both were equally full of purple liquid: Phi could only hope that it was still Axelavir.

“Alright!” Sigma cheered, “Let’s get this thing back to the infirmary.” Sigma transferred the vials so that both were in his right hand and made to slip them into his pocket.

Then, one of the vials slipped.

“Shit!” Sigma’s left hand swung in a wild, desperate arc towards the floor, following the rapidly descending vial. He caught it by sheer luck, but was thrown off balance by the sudden jerking motion and tumbled to the floor.

“What the hell was that?!” Tenmyouji exclaimed, his eyes locked on the vial of Axelavir in Sigma’s left hand.

“Sorry… my hand slipped,” Sigma mumbled.

“You dropped one of them?!” Clover asked, trembling as the realisation of what had just happened hit her.

“Just one, though,” Sigma futilely tried to excuse himself.

“What if you’d broken it, you idiot?” Tenmyouji snapped.

“C-Couldn’t I have just made another copy?” Sigma stuttered under Tenmyouji’s and Clover’s blazing gaze, “Look, It didn’t break. See? Can someone help me up already?”

Phi was the first to move to help him. She reached her hand down towards him. Then, in the last moment before their hands touched, she noticed something else under the table. “Oh. You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What the heck’s going on down there?” Dio asked.

“Just come and take look,” Phi replied. It was quicker than describing it. After all, all the players would recognise it instantly.

It was another antimatter bomb.

It had been inconspicuously attached to the bottom of the worksurface. This one was labelled ‘02’; other than that it was identical to the one in the crew quarters. It proved one thing. The bomb planter was still vigorously active.

“Was this here when you guys came through the first time?” Phi asked K and Clover.

“No, it was not,” K stated instantly.

Clover piped up as well. “I didn’t see anything, and I looked real hard.”

Phi made the obvious deduction, assuming K and Clover were telling the truth. “Then, somebody must have set it up while we were looking for Alice.”

“Who the hell would do that?” Dio asked incredulously.

“We were all running around looking for Alice,” Sigma suggested, “It could have been any of us.”

Tenmyouji shook his head fiercely. “No. Not any of us. I stayed in the infirmary. Quark was still out, so I was keeping an eye on him.”

Dio snorted. “So we shouldn’t consider you a suspect. Is that right?” he asked condescendingly.

“Yeah.”

K said, “But, Tenmyouji, you have no proof you spent the entire time in the infirmary, do you? You could have quietly made your way to the laboratory, planted the bomb…”

“That’s insane!” Tenmyouji roared.

“Perhaps. But it is a possibility: one we cannot afford to ignore.”

Tenmyouji slammed the palms of his hands against K’s armour, to no effect. “There’s no way in hell I’d have left Quark all by himself to go plant a goddamn bomb!”

The brewing fight was distracted when Clover suddenly approached the part of the table that the bomb had been secured to. She bent down and snatched something up from the floor. When she presented it to the others, Phi saw that it was a purple memory card. “What do you make of this? It was right under the bomb, on the floor, under the table.”

K turned away from Tenmyouji and moved in to get a closer look at the memory card. “Could it have been put there by the same person who set the bomb? There was nothing like it here when we examined the room.”

“What do you think’s on it?” Sigma asked, “Let’s take a look. Can I see it for a minute?”

Clover hesitantly handed the memory card over to Sigma. “Yeah… I guess so.”

Sigma examined the card’s connectors, then swept his eyes around the laboratory. “Shoot,” he muttered, “I thought we could try and plug it into something that reads memory cards, but I don’t see anything like that here.” For a scientific laboratory, the room had a suspicious lack of computer equipment.

“So what do we do?” Clover asked, reaching forward with her hand reflexively to reclaim the memory card.

“Dunno,” Sigma replied, “If I knew, I’d be doing it.”

 

Before they could come up with any other ideas, the players were interrupted. “Ten minutes remain until Ambidex Game polling closes. All players, please enter your votes. If no vote is recorded before the deadline has passed, any non-voting parties will automatically ally.”

“Uh, guys, I think maybe we should get back to the top floor,” Dio said, failing to mention that it had been him who had opened the Ambidex Room and started the timer.

“What shall we do about the, ah, bomb?” K asked.

Dio shrugged. “Not much to do but leave it here. Alice said it’d be dangerous to touch them, remember?”

Phi put some urgency into her tone of voice, then said, “Drop it. We can talk about the bombs later. Right now we need to take care of Alice and Quark.”

Phi led the other players back up to the infirmary, where they presented the two full vials of Axelavir. With a relieved smile, Luna clinically injected the Axelavir into both Alice and Quark. The crisis was over; soon, they would both be cured.

It was just in time as well: another announcement coincided with the second injection, reminding them that they only had five minutes left to vote.

“Alright, everybody,” Phi announced, “We can be relieved later. Right now we need to get to the AB Rooms, and fast.” Phi took her own advice, advancing at a brisk pace to the warehouse without checking to see if the others followed her.

Most of them did, but when Phi arrived at the warehouse, she found that Tenmyouji had not. “Oh, he stayed back in the infirmary,” Dio replied when asked.

“Why?” Phi asked sternly. This would cause problems for her. She would face only Dio in the upcoming AB Game, and would not have the opportunity to persuade Tenmyouji to take a risk by voting ‘Ally’.

“Well, when we were all heading out, I noticed he wasn’t doing anything. I asked him if he was coming with us, and he said he was gonna ‘watch over Quark and Alice’ or some rubbish like that.” Seeing the expression on Phi’s face, Dio continued, “Hey, Phi, nothing to worry about. I plan to choose ‘Ally’. You know why? ’Cause you’ve only got one BP. I want to win, but I’m not that desperate.” Phi wasn’t _quite_ convinced by that.

Luna tapped Phi on the shoulder and gazed deeply into Phi’s eyes. “Tenmyouji only has one BP left as well. Since Dio’s said he’s going to pick ‘Ally’, Phi can’t really pick anything else. If she does, Tenmyouji will… um…”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much it,” Dio stated, cutting through Luna’s pause. His face took on an honest looking grin, and Phi strained her eyes trying to see if there was anything else behind it. She failed: if Dio was hiding something, he had concealed it far too well.

 

After that, there was no time for anything else. Without another word, Phi raced for the nearest AB Room, opened it up with her keycard, and dashed inside. Soon after, she activated the touchscreen at the centre and the door closed behind her. Phi was alone

Phi had a tough choice to make. She had only one BP remaining. The only way to ensure her own survival was to betray.

Tenmyouji also had only one BP remaining. If Phi betrayed, then Tenmyouji might die instead.

With only seconds to go, and with her heart pounding in her chest, Phi made the choice of which life to risk and which to preserve.

**Choice:**  
**A) Ally**   
**B) Betray**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Time for another Ambidex Vote!_


	39. Hot War

_The vote was 2-1 in favour of 'Betray', so..._

* * *

Phi couldn’t do it. She couldn’t choose to risk her own life.

Phi pressed ‘Betray’.

The Ambidex Gates opened shortly after. Phi stepped out, glancing around uncertainly at the other players as they also emerged. Clover and K turned their heads to stare at each other suspiciously as they walked out of adjacent AB Rooms. To Phi’s right, Luna shook her head mournfully at Sigma before turning and walking away; Sigma just stood there, looking guilty and confused, before finally turning away from the direction Luna had walked in to head to the opposite side of the results screen. Finally Phi’s eyes settled on the person she needed to see most: Dio, striding towards the results screen without looking at any of the other players. Even though this Ambidex Game no longer held any risk to Phi, it would still be nice to know that Tenmyouji wasn’t going to die.

“Dio!” Phi called out.

Dio didn’t respond.

Phi hurried to follow him. She caught up with him just as he stopped right in front of the results screen; Phi placed a hand on Dio’s shoulder and forcefully turned him around to face her. “Dio! What did you vote?”

Dio smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Phi scowled at Dio’s contentless response. “Tell me, Dio. What. Did. You Vote?”

Dio started to answer, but his voice was drowned out by the end-of-round announcement. “Results from round two of the Ambidex Game will now be displayed. Please direct your attention to the results screen.”

Finally, just as the results screen flickered to life behind him, Dio replied, “Heh. ‘Betray’ of course.”

Phi shrugged. “Fine.”

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

K                                     6                           Betray                         0                           6  
Quark                              5                                                             0                           5

Clover                             6                           Betray                         0                           6

 

Sigma                              1                          Betray                          0                           1  
Luna                                5                                                             0                           5

Alice                                6                          Betray                          0                           6

 

Tenmyouji                       1                           Betray                         0                           1  
Dio                                  5                                                             0                           5

Phi                                   1                          Betray                         0                            1

 

‘Betray’. That word, displayed ominously the entire way across the scoreboard, caused Phi’s heart to sink. She’d expected that result against Dio, of course: even welcomed it, once it was clear that she was willing to put Tenmyouji’s life at risk. Clover’s and K’s mutual betrayal was disappointing, but not particularly devastating. And then there was the one betrayal that shouldn’t have been possible.

Phi spun around to face the AB Rooms. She was hardly the only one to do so. There, staggering sluggishly out of one the AB Gates that should have remained closed, was Alice.

Alice lurched against the side of the door as she emerged, but she continued, her eyes fixed furiously on Sigma for every single step. Pushing herself off the AB Gate to gain the momentum for the last couple of steps, Alice launched herself right up to Sigma.

“Thought you’d get an easy couple of points out of me, huh?” Alice asked acidly, “Not so easy when you have to look your victim in the eye, is it? Coward.” Alice’s words were ever-so-slightly slurred; it was a wonder she was standing straight.

 Sigma was having none of it. “Me, a coward? You’ve got some balls saying that to me after you picked ‘Betray’! Why are you even here?”

Alice shrugged. “You gave me the anti-virus, didn’t you? Thank you. I mean that from the bottom of my heart, honestly.” Alice’s tone was genuinely grateful, but laced throughout with bitter distrust. “I’m _very_ glad I was able to make it here. I have a throbbing headache and I can barely stand. It’s horrible. Still, I made it, just ten seconds before the countdown finished.” Alice paced steadily towards the Chromatic Doors, letting her words sink in. “I’m more resistant to anaesthetics than most people. A result of my training. I have a feeling Zero Sr. knew that. They gave me way more than the standard dose when they kidnapped me.”

“You mean…” Clover piped up. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. “That’s why…”

“Yes,” Alice responded before Clover could finish, “It wasn’t your fault you were unconscious for so long. Zero Sr. made sure they knocked me out, and they didn’t care at all if you had any adverse effects.” Alice nodded reassuringly to Clover, then turned to walk away.

Luna called out after Alice with dismay. “You forced yourself to wake up just so you could betray us?”

“Right.” Alice stroked her cheek, unconcerned. “I don’t get to do that? I mean, it turned out to be the right thing to do, didn’t it?”

Phi tuned out as Alice started to berate Sigma. However, it wasn’t long before another sentence of Alice’s gave her a sharp wake-up call.

“Why am I the only one getting the third degree here?! Look at those results! Two other people just tried to kill someone! If Dio had chosen ‘Ally’, Phi would have killed Tenmyouji. And if she’d chosen ‘Ally’, Dio would have killed her.”

As Alice had intended, everyone turned to face Phi and Dio instead of her.

Dio shrugged without concern under everyone’s gaze. “I knew that little bitch would try to kill Tenmyouji,” he stated confidently, completely ignoring the second part of Alice’s accusation.

Phi scrambled to defend herself. “What? Did you expect me to just roll over and let you kill me? It was obvious that was what you were going to do before you even went in.”

As Phi’s voice died away it was replaced only by a tense despondent silence. Ever so subtly, people backed away from each other. The only two people who stayed near each other were Clover and Alice.

After a while, Sigma took in a deep attention-grabbing breath. A speech came out. To Phi’s ears it was empty and hollow. “You’ve probably already all figured this out, but we can’t keep going like this. If we don’t start being a little more trusting, we’re never gonna get out of here. We need to work together!”

Sigma had the right idea – they couldn’t have any more rounds of complete betrayal if they wanted to get out – but his execution was terrible. Speaking up so self-righteously and so soon would only annoy the others.

As expected, Sigma’s speech went nowhere. K was the first to leave. “My apologies, Sigma. But I need to think on something for a bit. I would appreciate being left alone.”

Dio left through the magenta door as well; as soon as they were gone Alice turned tail as well, leading Clover out of the warehouse through the yellow door.

Sigma turned to Phi, a desperate frenzied look in his eyes. Phi just shook her head.

“Et tu, Phi?”

Normally Phi would have appreciated the reference. Now, however, the atmosphere was too morose for Phi to get into the spirit of it. Besides, it was the most well-known Latin phrase out there: it was hardly that impressive for Sigma to quote it. “Yeah, sorry,” Phi replied, successfully keeping her chagrin out of her voice. Before Sigma could respond, Phi turned and left the warehouse as well.

 

Phi passed quickly through the lounge and on towards the elevator. When she pressed the call button, the doors didn’t respond; K and Dio must have just taken it down. Phi tapped the button a few more times impatiently then settled in to wait.

There was a noise from the corridor behind her.

Before Phi could turn around, a hand slammed her head roughly against the elevator doors. It was Tenmyouji.

“I came as soon as I saw…” Tenmyouji didn’t finish his sentence; he just trailed off into a furious incoherent grunt. He slammed his left hand against the elevator door and his bracelet clanged angrily against it. In the reflection, Phi saw that it displayed the number ‘1’. So that was how Tenmyouji had learned her vote from the AB Game “I had a feeling you’d try to run away,” Tenmyouji said. “Coward. What: afraid to look the man you tried to murder in the eye?”

Phi tried to squirm free. She failed. Tenmyouji was surprisingly strong for his age. “Come on, Tenmyouji. It’s not like that. If I hadn’t I’d be dead.”

“Hmph. Excuses,” Tenmyouji spat, “You knew what you were doing when you pressed the button.”

Before Tenmyouji could continue, he was interrupted by a shout from further down the corridor. “Tenmyouji!” It was Clover’s voice.

“Stay out of this, Clover!” Tenmyouji roared, “It’s got nothing to do with you!”

Clover approached Tenmyouji. “Can’t you at least let her go? It’s not very… well… nice, is it?”

“Nice? What’s ‘nice’ got to do with this? Was it ‘nice’ when she chose to betray me? Huh? Huh?!”

“Well…” Clover trailed off awkwardly. Eventually, she changed the subject. “Sigma and Luna have something to show us in the infirmary. I thought you should see it too.”

Tenmyouji was silent for a few seconds. Then, he let Phi go, dropping her uncaringly to the floor. “Fine. But I’m only coming because I’ve left Quark alone too long.”

As Tenmyouji marched away Phi picked herself off the floor and dusted herself off. She wondered exactly what Sigma and Luna were trying to show them: was this just another futile scheme of Sigma’s to promote group unity? Still, Phi was curious and grateful for the reprieve. “Thanks, Clover.”

Clover scratched the corner of her mouth. “Well… You helped Alice when she ran off, earlier. I’m not sure why Tenmyouji wanted to hurt you like that.” Not having been on either side of a potential killing, Clover was still in relatively high spirits. “You should have a look at this too,” Clover continued.

Phi was tempted to just leave – the run-in with Tenmyouji had rattled her – but she decided to have a look. If Sigma wasn’t just fooling around, if this really was something useful, then it could be what the players needed to distract them from the wave of betrayal. “Let’s go,” Phi replied, with forced confidence.

 

When Phi and Clover arrived in the infirmary, Sigma was messing about with the side of the television screen there, while Alice and Tenmyouji watched: Alice intently, Tenmyouji less so as he turned to glare at Phi.

Luna also noticed their arrival and explained what was going on. “It’s the memory card we found in the laboratory by the bomb. I just realised it looked like one I used in the infirmary puzzle earlier, so I wondered if we could use it here as well. Oh! It worked!”

As Sigma slipped the card into its slot the screen lit up. Rows of letters faded into view. Luna’s idea had worked: they were now able to read the bomber’s memory card.

Not that it helped much. The letters were completely meaningless.

“Was there anything else on there?” Clover asked.

Luna walked up next to Sigma and fiddled with the screen. “No, it doesn’t look like it.”

“So all we get is… gibberish,” Sigma said.

There was silence.

Then Alice spoke up, asking a surprisingly forceful question. “Does any of this seem familiar to you, Clover?”

Clover seemed taken aback. “What do you mean?” she replied before thinking.

“Have you seen something like this before? Maybe during your training?” As a twinkle appeared in Clover’s eye, Alice concluded, “So you do recognise it.”

“Wait, Alice. Back up a bit. What the hell are you two talking about? ‘Training’? What ‘training’?”

“I can’t tell you,” Alice and Clover replied simultaneously. Then Alice continued. “I believe this is an encoded message from a terrorist organisation. They call themselves the ‘Myrmidons’. Put simply, they’re a bunch of thugs who are trying to destroy or dismantle most of human civilisation. They have a number of different codes, but I do think this is one of them.”

“Then the bomb… it was set by one of the Myrmidons, wasn’t it?” Clover said.

“Yes.  Well, I can’t say for sure, of course, but it seems the most likely.”

“I have a question for you,” Sigma stated. Then, he backpedalled. “Well, I’ve got a _ton_ of questions for you. But let me start with this one: what the heck does that thing say?”

Alice thought for a second. “I don’t know. How am I supposed to decode it? I don’t have the key. Without the key, it would take literally hundreds of years to decode.”

“What about you, Clover?” Tenmyouji asked.

Clover shrugged. “Well, if Alice doesn’t know how, I sure don’t.”

Sigma turned away from the screen forlornly. “Not much we can do, then.”

“Well, there is one thing,” Phi said. She turned to Alice and Clover. “What the hell are you two? Why do you know so much about this code?”

“Already said: can’t tell you. You might be one of them! You might be the person who set the bomb!” Alice turned her face from side to side, surveying the players before her: Phi, Sigma, Tenmyouji and Luna. “That goes for all of you. Any one of you could be the terrorist!”

“That’s idiotic!” Sigma roared, “Of course I’m not…”

“Really? And where’s your proof?” Alice interrupted, “For all I know, you’re my enemy! I can’t tell you anything.”

Sigma sighed, deflated. Phi took over.

“If you won’t tell us about yourselves, tell us more about the Myrmidons.” Phi hoped that in the process of explaining the Myrmidons they might let something slip about their own secret.

Alice was deathly silent. Clover started to speak but Alice shushed her sternly. Alice gazed back defiantly at all the pairs of eyes – Phi’s, Sigma’s, Luna’s, Tenmyouji’s – staring at her.

Then, Alice ran from the room.

Sigma was the first to follow; once again, his reactions were excellent. Phi followed, pursuing Sigma and Alice out of the infirmary and in the most likely direction: towards the elevator. Phi raced there, but found when she got there that the elevator doors were already shut: Sigma and Alice had already taken the lift down.

Clover skidded to a halt next to Phi. “Oh… I’m too late.” Her eyes boring a hole into the elevator door, Clover danced fretfully from tiptoe to tiptoe. She shivered.

“It’ll be alright,” Phi said, “Alice has had Axelavir now. It isn’t like last time.” That didn’t stop Clover jittering at all. Phi asked, “What about Tenmyouji and Luna? Are they coming?”

Clover shook her head, the motion distinct from her general twitching. “They wanted to stay with Quark,” she replied.

Phi had dodged a bullet there. Returning to the elevator reminded Phi that that she really didn’t want her face slammed into the door again. She could relax, not having to watch out for Tenmyouji’s wrath. Phi began to ask, “So, Clover, about the Myrm…”

“No time!” Clover suddenly interrupted as the elevator doors opened. Clover ran inside. Phi had to dive in after her; Clover pressed the button to go down without waiting a single second for Phi.

 

When they arrived at the bottom of the shaft, Clover bounced frenetically between the three Chromatic Doors. “Where is she? Where is she?” she muttered. Eventually, she settled on the green door and bounded away through it. Phi chased after.

Phi caught up with Clover in the treatment centre. Clover had already made it into the pod chamber and was pacing backwards and forwards, searching for Alice in the nooks and crannies around the treatment pods. The sight of Clover near the pods reminded Phi of something: something that the frantic search for Alice and the heated accusations after the AB Game had caused to slip her mind.

Clover had almost certainly been one of the people frozen in the pods. This was Phi’s chance to learn more.

Phi stood in the doorway of the chamber, intentionally blocking Clover in. “Clover. There’s something I need to tell you about,” Phi announced. When Clover didn’t respond the first time, Phi said it again, louder.

Clover finally looked up. “Geez! I heard you the first time. Tell me later, okay? I’ve gotta keep looking for Alice.”

Phi didn’t budge. “Slow down, Clover. You won’t find Alice any quicker by panicking. Stay here and listen to what I have to say for a bit.”

“Okay,” Clover said dubiously. She turned and retreated into the chamber a few paces, as if expecting Phi to follow.

Then she spun around again and bull-rushed Phi.

Phi had expected that. She side-stepped and braced herself against the doorframe. Clover bounced off.

“Ow!” Clover exclaimed from where she was sprawled on the floor. “That was mean! Why couldn’t you just let me trick you?”

Phi didn’t humour Clover. “This is important. And Alice will want to know too.” Phi didn’t let slip that Alice already knew about the treatment pods, having been in the room shortly after completing her own puzzle in the gardens. Phi knew that Clover hadn’t had the chance to talk about it with either Alice or Tenmyouji, so the lie was safe. “Have a look at one of these pods,” Phi said.

Clover stood up and cocked her head as she squinted at the pod closest to the door. “Yeah. They’re weird.”

“They’re cryogenic pods,” Phi explained.

“Brr…” Clover shivered dramatically.

“They’re… not actually on, Clover. They aren’t actually making anything cold. Whatever.” Phi shrugged and got to the point. “Three of us were in them. Three of the players, I mean. Three of us were frozen in those pods.”

“So?” Clover asked.

“I think you were one of them.”

Clover gasped. “No! Really? But, but, but!” After spluttering, Clover subsided. “Well, I guess it makes sense. Alice and I were the first to be kidnapped, on the 22nd, right? So I guess we would be more likely to be put in these things. Alice was in one as well, right?”

“Most likely, yeah,” Phi replied. On a whim, she asked, “Any idea who the last person was?”

“No idea. Could be any of us, I guess.”

Then Phi asked the most pertinent question. “It was Tenmyouji who recognised the pods. He’s also the one who knew that you and Alice were in them. Any idea how he knew so much?”

Clover tilted her head. “Phi. Are you being mean to Tenmyouji again? Just because of the last Ambidex Game doesn’t mean you have to be so suspicious of him.”

“No. I was suspicious of him before this. I’d only expect Zero Sr. to know which of us he froze, so the fact that Tenmyouji knew… well, it’s worrying.”

“It’s possible, I guess,” Clover replied hesitantly, “But I think there’s load of other ways he could have guessed, as well.”

“You seem awfully trusting of Tenmyouji,” Phi stated, “Know him from somewhere? Same place you know Alice from, maybe?”

“No!” Clover exclaimed, “It’s not like that! I don’t know him from anywhere… at least, I don’t think so.”

“Huh?”

Clover continued, “Well, I feel like I know him from somewhere. But that can’t be right. I don’t know any old geezers.”

Clover seemed adamant, so Phi didn’t pursue the subject any further. Instead she changed tack. “So, would the Myrmidon’s know about pods like these? Would they use them on people that they had kidnapped?”

“No,” Clover stated with certainty, shuddering slightly. “They wouldn’t do that. That’s not what they do with the people they capture.”

“Care to explain?”

“Well…” Clover paused and thought deeply. “I’d have to start at the beginning: with what Alice and I do. We’re part of this organisation called SOIS: the Special Office of Internal Security. We’re like superspies for the American government. Don’t look at me like that: I really am! Well, I guess I was recruited because of the special ability I have rather than because I’m super-talented like Alice is, but still!”

“‘Special ability’?” Phi asked.

“Well, yeah. You wouldn’t get it. Anyway. SOIS is fighting this terrorist organisation: the Myrmidons. They’re like this cult that worships their leader – this crazy old guy called ‘Brother’ – and they want to end humanity because they think if they do so they’ll be the next big thing. I’ll tell you something interesting. There’s this rumour going around that the Myrmidon’s – the real ones, not, like, the flunkies – you won’t believe this – they _all have the same face!_ ”

Phi didn’t quite believe that. Still, no reason to stop Clover talking now she’d started. “Carry on. How does this lead to you knowing what Myrmidons do to hostages?”

“No one’s ever caught one of them, so no-one knows what they look like. Alice and I were on a mission to do that for the first time. We’d found a place where they were likely to be hiding out. I was sent in to infiltrate it, and… and…” Clover froze.

“Clover?” Phi asked.

Clover turned her head away from Phi. “I can’t… and I don’t mean ’cause it’s classified or anything like that. I just can’t talk about it. I’m sorry.”

“But, Clover…”

Clover interrupted, “Maybe I’ll tell you later. Can we move on?”

Phi relented, and let Clover out of the treatment pod chamber. Clover darted past her, out the treatment centre and down the corridor towards the warehouse. Phi followed.

 

When Phi and Clover arrived in the lower floor warehouse and advanced into the middle, they found K examining the white Chromatic Doors and Dio pacing nonchalantly along the opposite wall. Between them stood Luna, Quark leaning wearily against her slender frame. Luna caught Phi’s eye.

“I’m so sorry,” Luna mouthed at Phi.

Phi ducked left as Tenmyouji’s punch whistled over her shoulder. That had been close. Once she was clear, Phi spun around to face him.

“What the hell, Tenmyouji?” Phi yelled.

Tenmyouji slammed his fist into the palm of his hand. “You never change, do you, Phi?” he growled, “You run away, using your victim’s ties to keep them from following you. Well, I’m not letting you get away this time!”

“Screw you. If this is about the AB Game, just get over it already! You’re still alive, aren’t you?”

Tenmyouji shook furiously. “‘Get over it’? You nearly killed me!”

“And I nearly died as well!” Phi shouted, “You voted ‘Betray’ as well, so…”

“That wasn’t me. That was Dio,” Tenmyouji snapped.

Phi pointed an accusing finger at Dio, then swept it around to Tenmyouji. “You let Dio vote alone. That’s the same as pushing the button yourself.”

Hearing his name, Dio marched over to where Phi and Tenmyouji were arguing. “Hey! Leave me out of this!”

“Why should I?” Phi asked acidly.

Suddenly, Clover darted in, placing herself between Phi on the one side and Dio and Tenmyouji on the other. “Stop arguing! It’s not helping.”

“Stay out of this, Clover,” Phi snapped. She advanced on Tenmyouji, shoving Clover aside. “Tenmyouji. If you removed your head from your ass, you’d realise that you’re telling me off merely for protecting myself. Forgive me for not being the slightest bit moved by that. You act like you’ve got the moral high ground, but the only reason you’re not in the position of having nearly killed me is that you’re too much of a coward to do your dirty work yourself.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Phi saw Clover flee the warehouse, but she didn’t pay any further attention. She had to press her advantage against Tenmyouji.

“So screw your self-righteousness, Tenmyouji,” Phi concluded, “Just leave me alone and let me keep on playing the game.”

Tenmyouji didn’t back down. “I had to keep an eye on Quark. There was no way I could have voted.”

“That was your choice to make,” Phi said, “Now you have to take the consequences. One of them being that you’re as much at fault as Dio is.”

“Hey!” Dio interjected, “I’m not at fault here. I was just protecting Tenmyouji from your attempt to kill him.”

“Like hell you were. You just saw the chance to pick up a few points. Don’t deny it.”

“Of course I’m gonna deny it!” Dio shouted theatrically.

Tenmyouji advanced on Phi jabbing a finger towards her face. “You don’t get away that easily. This is my life we’re talking about! And that means…”

“Stop fighting!” Sigma’s voice boomed across the warehouse. Phi couldn’t help but turn to face him, it was so thunderously loud. Sigma strode into the warehouse, flanked by Alice and Clover. He looked almost like an entirely different person from the callow defeated wreck he had been after the Ambidex Game.

Still, Phi didn’t think he would actually be able to get them to stop fighting. Tenmyouji had too much ego staked on being in the right, and Sigma couldn’t have any leverage to stop him. So Phi turned back to Tenmyouji and took in a deep breath, prepared to carry on arguing.

So what Sigma said next caused that breath to explode out of her.

“I know who planted the bombs… and I can prove it.”

Well. That was one way to stop the argument.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_I've had to increase the total chapter count again: another miscalculation along Quark's route. 95 chapters it is. That number (hopefully) shouldn't change again, since I've now written every chapter that isn't past the final plot lock._  

_I have a lot to talk about after this chapter. First off, I made a couple of changes from canon here. In the game, Phi wasn't in the infirmary when Alice told everyone about the Myrmidons, but that basically amounts to removing Phi from the plot entirely so would be really bad for this fic. Besides, this route is for a person who was in the infirmary, so it would be doubly wrong for Phi to not be there as well.  
The other change I made has less noble justification. I moved Luna and Quark from the infirmary to the floor B warehouse for the argument entirely for the moment where Luna apologises to Phi just as Tenmyouji attacks her. It's entirely pointless, but I couldn't resist._

_I also want to rant a bit about the events of the game where Sigma is talking to Alice in the garden, specifically the part where Alice factorises the cube of a prime number and uses it to crack the code. Cryptography doesn't work like that! I mean, I understand that the game designers wanted something Sigma and the player could do there so they simplified it, but still. It's egregiously bad. The cube of the prime ends up having nothing to do with the code; it's just a little bit of obfuscation added so that we can see Alice do maths. It's like the Myrmidons are using the exact opposite of cryptography. The entire point of cryptography is that you can decode messages because of something you know while you're enemies can't. But here Dio can't do anything with the cube of the prime number but Alice can. It's just wrong!_


	40. The Spy who Strangled Me

“I know who planted the bombs… and I can prove it,” Sigma announced.

Phi waited with bated breath to see how Sigma would reveal the bomber.

Sigma paused for three dramatic seconds… then turned and wandered away to the other side of the warehouse.

Goddamnit! Sigma was just wasting time again. Phi gave up on him and spun back around to continue the argument. Dio had vanished while Phi’s back was turned, but Tenmyouji was still there and Phi laid into him.

“Screw you, Tenmyouji! It’s clear you only care about yourself, anyway, so…”

“Damn right I do!” Tenmyouji interrupted. He folded his arms defensively. “The only people I can trust in here are Quark and myself. You lot have proven that time and time again. So why should I give a damn about anyone else in here.”

Before Phi could respond, Clover ran up between them. “You’re still arguing? Really?” she asked sharply.

Phi replied bluntly. “Yeah.”

“Why? It’s not like you’re getting anywhere with this! You’re just gonna keep fighting again and again and again and make yourself unhappy.”

“Hmph!” Tenmyouji snorted, “Like that matters now.”

“No, really!” Clover said, “Anyway, I think we’re about to find out who set the bombs. Once we do, the rest of us will be able to work together and everything will be better again, right?”

“If you really think that you’re an idiot,” Tenmyouji snapped.

The way his eyes went wide showed that Tenmyouji immediately regretted it, but it was too late for regret. Clover stumbled, knocked backwards by Tenmyouji’s words.

“‘Idiot’…” she whispered.

 

Then, a voice echoed across the warehouse’s steel walls. “No! No! You have to be lying! Brother trusts me. That’s why he chose me for this mission. Why would he have made me leader of the Myrmidons if he…” The voice froze. The voice was Dio’s.

Phi turned to see Dio standing opposite Sigma on the far side of the warehouse, his posture tense with sudden realisation and panic.

Sigma gave Dio a mocking wink. “Did everyone catch that?” he asked, his voice carrying across the room to all of the other players.

“What the hell?” Dio hissed. He backed away from Sigma gingerly. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Sorry, Dio,” Sigma said, “It’s amazing how far sound can go if it starts here. I noticed it the last time I passed through here, so all I needed to do was lure you over.”

The remaining players gathered around Dio, glaring at him angrily. Luna kept Quark near the back of the crowd, safe from harm, while Phi, K, Tenmyouji and Clover almost instinctively spread out around Dio to deny him any route of escape. But it was Alice who charged towards Dio, fury blazing in her eyes.

“Bastard. I’ll never forgive you. I. Am going. To kill you!”

Dio stepped back as Alice lunged towards him. Alice readied herself for another strike, but by then Dio had retrieved a small black device – a detonator – from his pocket and was brandishing it warily at Alice.

“Whoa there, lady,” Dio snarled at Alice, “I like my women a little feisty, but you’re taking it a bit far, sweetheart. Tone it down.”

Alice took a step towards Dio.

“You see this?” Dio continued, “You know what it is, don’t you?”

Alice took one more step forwards, ignoring Dio’s words.

“It’s the detonator, you stupid bitch! So back off!”

Alice finally stopped.

Grinning with mocking glee, Dio continued his explanation. “I assume you know what happens if I press this button?”

Alice reluctantly nodded. “I’m guessing it’ll set off both of the bombs?”

Dio giggled. “Well… I wouldn’t say ‘both’. You guys have really been slacking off when it comes to finding my bombs. There’s the number one bomb: I’m guessing none of you learned how to count if you didn’t know it existed. And then there’s one more: bomb number zero. Add all that up, and you’re looking at about four tons of explosive power. Those go off, and it’s all over. It’s enough to turn this whole place into a smoking crater.”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Phi asked, “That will kill you too.”

Dio snorted. “So? I’m ready for that. I’ve got spares.”

K tapped the side of his helmet curiously. “‘Spares’? What exactly do you mean by that?”

“I die here,” Dio said confidently, “and my clones will continue our sacred mission.” He looked around at the people surrounding him, unconcerned. “So, it’s time for me to head off. None of you are gonna stop me, right? We’d hate for there to be an accident…” Dio jiggled the detonator, “so it’d be best for you if you got out of my way. See ya later!”

Dio backed towards Phi: she had ended up between him and the doors out of the warehouse. For a moment, Phi considered attacking him from behind, but she realised she had no chance. Dio was taller and stronger than she was and, in any case, he’d press the button the moment he realised he was under attack. Phi stepped aside. Dio had a clear path to the exit. K, Tenmyouji and Sigma all fearfully backed away as well. They also weren’t willing to face the detonator.

But not everyone was afraid.

Alice whispered, “Let’s go, Clover. Show him all that training wasn’t for nothing.”

“Huh?” Clover replied distractedly. Then, she rallied. “Right!”

Dio tensed up suspiciously, but before he could act Alice yelled, “Die, you bastard!” Alice leapt towards Dio and that, together with the yell, fixed his attention entirely on her. Clover darted in from the side and twisted the detonator out of Dio’s grasp. Alarmed, Dio tried to snatch it back but Clover was already out of reach; he was frustrated in his attempts by Alice punching him soundly in the face.

“Clover! Get him!” Alice commanded.

“Sigma! Catch!” Clover tossed the detonator to Sigma, to free up her hands, and then joined Alice in subduing Dio. As Alice continuing punching Dio’s face and upper body, Clover kicked the legs out from under him. As he fell, they twisted him so he landed headfirst and then Alice pinned him to the ground.

Alice stared down at Dio hatefully. “So. What do you have to say for yourself, Myrmidon?”

Dio panted as he got his breath back. “Well… What do I have to say for myself? Hmm… Clover…”

An ominous beep emanated from the detonator in Sigma’s hands.

“… You fucked up. Big time.”

 

Phi yelled at Sigma, “What the hell was that?! What did you do?”

Sigma held up the detonator gingerly and displayed it to the other players. A red light blinked on the rim: a warning that something had been activated. “It wasn’t me!” Sigma exclaimed, “I didn’t touch anything! It just happened.”

Dio laughed heartily, not caring at all about the painful way he had been pinned to the floor. “Serves you right! God, you’re stupid. Clover, see that detonator you threw to Sigma? You activated it. If it gets more than a metre away from me, it sets itself off. We figured someone might try and take it away, so we put in a little safeguard. Since you were kind enough to take it away from me the bomb’s countdown timer has started. Go ahead and destroy the detonator if you want. Won’t make any difference now. The bombs are going to go off no matter what.”

Sigma asked, “How long do we have?!”

“Thirty minutes.” Dio tilted his head upward so they could all see his smirk. “My condolences.”

“What can we do to stop them?” K asked.

“I told you that already,” Alice replied, “First we need to find the device that allows us to input to the bombs. Then we plug it into each bomb and enter the codes.”

“Who the hell are you?” Dio snarled at Alice, “How do you know all of this?

“None of your business. Now, tell me where the input device is!”

“That’s none of _your_ damn business.” As Alice levered his arm painfully, Dio writhed but didn’t break free. “Fuck! Stop! You’re gonna break it!”

Alice only forced his arm back further. “Of course. That’s the plan. Just tell me what I want to know.”

Dio screamed as his composure collapsed. “Okay! Okay, I’ll tell you! It’s in my coat. The right hand pocket.”

Clover knelt in front of Dio and reached into his coat. She grunted with frustration as she rummaged around inside the pocket. Finally, her hand emerged, containing a small orange and purple pill. “Huh? What’s this.”

“Not sure,” Dio replied, “I can’t see it. Bring it here so I can see it.”

Clover shuffled closer to Dio and held out the pill under his eyes so he could see it. Dio inspected the pill for a couple of seconds. Then, his mouth opened, scooping the pill right out of Clover’s hand. There was a sickening crunch as Dio bit into it.

“Damn!” Phi shouted, as she comprehended what had just happened, “That was poison, wasn’t it?”

Dio let out a spluttering cough, but still managed to say, “Heh. That’s right. I’m on a one-way trip to the next world and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. See ya later!”

“What the hell are you doing?!” Sigma roared, “Where’s the input device?”

“Lost it in my couch back home.” Pain contorted Dio’s face, but he mocked them anyway.

“Fine,” Phi said, “How about you give us the deactivation codes instead?”

“You guys are persistent,” Dio said, “Fine. Not gonna do you much good anyway. I’ll tell you… one of them. This is the deactivation code for bomb three.” Dio rattled out a string of letters so fast that Phi couldn’t keep up. Phi had to hope that those closer to Dio – Clover, Alice and Sigma – had heard it.

“What about the other three?!” Sigma demanded of Dio, “Tell us the other three!”

But Dio was staring vacantly into the distance as his life left his body. “My body will be the foundation of a bright future,” he whispered with his dying breath, “Such a beautiful world. May Brother live in everlasting glory!” Dio let out an agonised gurgle as his head fell against the floor. He stopped moving entirely, and would never move again.

Dio was dead.

 

Clover’s shoulders slumped with dismay. “He only gave us the password for one of the bombs. This is bad. What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know,” Sigma replied hesitantly.

“How much time have we got?” Phi asked. Once she knew that, she could start making plans.

“About twenty-five minutes or so, I think,” K replied. He fiddled with his bracelet. “I checked the countdown for the Chromatic Doors when the detonator activated, and it was almost exactly on thirty minutes. That means the bombs will explode when the doors open: that is, in twenty minutes time.”

Alice scratched her chin. “I was hoping that we might be able to escape through the white doors, but…”

“It takes five minutes for the doors to open and close, so there’s no way we can get through in time,” Clover concluded.

“There’s no point just standing around,” Phi said, taking charge, “We should start looking. We need three things: the password input device, the other three passwords, and the other two bombs. We have those three things and we get through this.”

Alice and Clover rummaged through Dio’s possessions. “Damn,” Alice said, “He hasn’t got a single clue on him for the other passwords.”

“Then we just have to find it somewhere else,” Phi replied, “Move out, people! We can do this. Let’s go!”

Phi didn’t wait to make sure that the other players followed her instructions. She took off towards the treatment centre. Phi had spent more time in that room than any other player, so she figured she would have the best chance of noticing if anything was amiss.

On arriving, Phi burst into the treatment pod chamber. Since you didn’t have to go through that chamber to get from one side of the treatment centre to the other, things were more likely to go unnoticed there. Phi looked under each treatment pod, then snapped them all open to look inside.

There was nothing there.

Phi activated the displays on each of the computers beside the treatment pods, hoping that there would be some clue. Perhaps they had updated since she had last read them, maybe with some message from Zero Sr. or some other information that would help them survive.

There was nothing there.

Phi abandoned the search in the treatment pod chamber and ransacked the rest of the treatment centre, though her hopes had fallen. She searched every corner of the cavity behind the painting where the laser had come out from, tore away all the cushions of the sofa, and even knocked the ‘jellyfish’ tank off its stand to smash it, perching on tiptoes as the scalding hot water lapped around her feet.

There was nothing there.

Frustrated, Phi moved on, barging out the entrance to the treatment centre and back to the elevator. There was no-one there when she arrived, but when she pressed the button to call the elevator it took an agonisingly delaying minute to arrive: someone else had already taken it to the top floor. When the elevator finally arrived Phi leapt in and rode it up.

Phi arrived on the upper floor and headed straight for the crew quarters. The first bomb they had found was there; maybe there were more clues there that they had missed the first time around. When Phi got there she went straight into cabin two, where the bomb was located. Where it had been difficult to spot before – placed out of the way under the bed and only found after a thorough search of the crew quarters – now it was obvious. A blinking red light, identical to the one on the detonator, gave it away immediately.

Unfortunately, there weren’t any other differences from before; the only information Phi acquired was that the bomb was in fact armed. There was nothing there that would help Phi survive. The other cabins were similarly lacking. Phi moved on.

Phi arrived in the upper floor warehouse through the cyan door. The wide open space didn’t allow many places for anything – input device, passwords or bombs – to hide; Phi could see clearly all the way across to the Number Nine Door. The only places worth searching were the AB Rooms. Phi approached them.

But before she could get close, she was distracted by a muffled sound to her left. Phi spun to face it.

“Huh? Clover? What are…?”

 

Clover stood at the leftmost end of the row of AB Rooms. She was bent over, her head buried against the corner. She was barely moving, but Phi could see the slight adjustments as Clover shivered.

“Clover!” Phi called out again.

Clover didn’t respond.

Phi took a few steps towards Clover and tried again. “Clover! What are you doing?”

Clover still didn’t speak. She kept facing the wall and away from Phi. A line of tears trickled down the metal.

“Clover! We don’t have time for this! We have to keep searching!”

When Phi came within arm’s length, Clover moved. Her arm shot out, grabbing Phi by the collar. Before Phi could react, Clover spun, yanking Phi off her balance and slamming her into the back wall. The pipes there rattled as Phi’s head smashed against the wall next to them; she was lucky only to have hit the flat wall and not any of the protruding rusted metal. Still, the wind was knocked out of her.

Clover leaned forward, pinning Phi against the wall. “Why? Why bother? It’s not gonna help.”

“Clover!” Phi gasped. Clover didn’t seem to have realised, but her forearm had gone right across Phi’s throat. Phi struggled as her airway was slowly crushed.

Clover continued speaking, more to herself than to Phi. “Not like I can help, anyway. I just keep screwing things up, don’t I? I couldn’t stop you and Tenmyouji from fighting. When I was supposed to be stopping Dio, I set off the bombs instead! So why’d you want me to search for stuff? Tenmyouji was right: I really am an idiot.

Phi tried to get Clover’s awareness and then, when that failed, tried to shove Clover off her. Clover reflexively countered all Phi’s attempts to get leverage.

Clover shook her head miserably. “You lot all think of me just like an extension of Alice, don’t you? Like I’m just her lackey.” Clover’s eyes suddenly locked with Phi’s. “Like, ‘Alice was in one of the cryogenic pods, and she won’t talk, so let’s ask Clover! She’ll tell me!’ Don’t think I didn’t notice.”

Phi shook her head desperately. “It’s not like that…”

“You’re lying! I can tell!” Clover turned her head away but kept the pressure on Phi’s neck. “Well, it doesn’t matter.”

Darkness crept in around the edges of Phi’s vision. She was sure that Clover going to kill her. She was certain that there was nothing she could do to save herself.

And then Clover offered Phi an opportunity to live.

“So, Phi, tell me. If it’s really ‘not like that,’ tell me one thing about me that’s different from Alice. Go on! If you really mean what you’re saying, tell me!”

Phi strained to think. There had to something that would bring Clover to her senses. It had to be something true – Phi was quickly realising that Clover was far too perceptive to allow lying to her – but also something weighty enough that Clover would actually accept it as an answer. Phi had to find the answer.

But her mind was quickly clouding over. Every time Phi was sure she had something, the thought slipped away into the haze of her mind falling apart. As all strength left her body, and her vision shrank to a single point for each eye, Phi was sure she had failed.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_I decided to post this chapter a little early. Here, we reach **Plot Lock 9: Resolve Clover's Psychological Issues**. This is the point where I'd mockingly say, "Good luck with that!" but... you've pretty much already done it, so we're heading straight through._

_See you next time!_

 


	41. Cold Calling

_Here we break through **Plot Lock 9: Resolve Clover's Psychological Issues,** using the things we learned about Clover's past in Tenmyouji's ending (chapter 32)._

* * *

Phi’s strength faded. Her voice weakened and gurgled under Clover’s crushing force. Finally, her mind began to break apart and everything dimmed to black.

Phi thought she was dead. But she wasn’t. Moments after her sight faded away entirely _a new vision replaced it._

_Phi’s head was still pounding; her sight was unfocused. She thought it was an aftereffect of being strangled, but it wasn’t. Slowly – very slowly – Phi came to the realisation that she was drunk. Drunk? How was she drunk?_

_Phi’s eyes came into focus so that she was finally able to see where she had gone. She was sitting at the bar in the lounge, a small, half-full glass cradled gently between her hands. That explained how she was drunk. Phi then raised her head and looked to her left. Tenmyouji was sitting there, also with a tumbler of alcohol._

_“Hey, old man! What are you doing here?” Phi asked, “Is this supposed to be heaven or something? You managed to die as well?”_

_Tenmyouji didn’t seem to hear her; he didn’t respond. Or, rather, he didn’t respond to what she had actually said. Instead, he replied, “The Zero of Clover’s first Nonary Game was a man named Gentarou Hongou, the owner of a company called Cradle. He was trying to learn about psychic powers. The idea was that if the brothers and sisters were placed into a stressful, life-threatening situation, they’d develop the ability to talk to each other with their minds and help each other solve the puzzles. Yeah, puzzles. Puzzles are really important, for some reason.”_

_Phi figured that if she couldn’t have any effect on the conversation, she might as well take part in the one that was actually happening. “So… Clover has psychic powers?”_

_“Yeah. ‘Espers’: that’s what they’re called. When there’s a Nonary Game, you can be sure espers aren’t far away, and they cause nothing but trouble.”_

_As Tenmyouji finished talking he lifted his glass, taking a deep gulp. Phi went to do the same but as she looked into the bottom of the glass she found herself drawn towards it. Her grip on the vision snapped entirely and Phi fell into cool golden liquid and_ back to the present.

Where Clover was still strangling her.

“‘Esper’.” Phi whispered the word with the very last of her breath.

As the word reached Clover’s ears she gasped faintly. With a subtle but merciful adjustment, Clover shifted back; the pressure on Phi’s throat was released. Phi could breathe again.

“What was that?” Clover asked, glaring into Phi’s eyes.

Phi took a few tight rasping breaths before she could speak again. “You’re an esper. You have…”

“Yeah, yeah,” Clover interrupted, “I know I’m an esper. How do _you_ know that?”

Phi’s mind was too addled to do anything but be utterly honest. “Tenmyouji… told me.”

“‘Tenmyouji told you’? But he hates you. Why would he tell you that?” One second after posing that question, Clover tilted her head to one side inquisitively. “Hmm… How would Tenmyouji know that? Like, no-one knows. SOIS classified it top, top secret. There’s no way he’d know.” Clover pursed her lips assuredly, but only a moment later she softened, taking in a curious little gasp of air. “But, you know, when I think about it, maybe he really does know…”

“He said that espers were ‘nothing but trouble.’” Phi figured that sounded enough like Tenmyouji that Clover wouldn’t get mad.

Phi was right. “That sounds about right,” Clover said, “I’ve already been through three bloody Nonary Games ’cause of it. Then SOIS: I mean, it’s really cool, but it’s still ‘trouble’. I kinda wish I hadn’t joined. It wasn’t long after I completed my training that the Myrmidons captured me.”

This time Phi remained silent; she hardly had a choice, given that she was still regaining her breath. Still, it seemed to work.

Clover continued speaking. “I’d been sent to infiltrate a Myrmidon Base. The idea was that I’d use my esper powers to transmit everything I found out to my brother, Light.” Phi remembered seeing that name in the folder in the treatment centre. “That’s what my ability is, right? I can show him what I’m seeing; Alice told me my ability made me the perfect spy.

“So I infiltrate this Myrmidon facility in the Nevada desert. Thing is, I think they were expecting me somehow. The moment I got halfway in I got surrounded by goons; they were all in masks so I couldn’t see their faces. Next thing I knew, I woke up tied to a chair with some guy tied up in front of me. It was Alice’s dad. The Myrmidons tortured him to death in front of me. He was screaming the entire time but they didn’t stop. I was screaming the entire time but they didn’t stop.

“They wanted to send a message to Alice. They sent it using my esper power. So, yeah, if Tenmyouji actually said that, he was right. Esper abilities are nothing but trouble.”

 

After Clover’s long speech, Phi had finally regained enough coherence of thought to remember what Clover had actually asked her. The answer had been ‘Esper’; the task had been to say anything that made Clover better than Alice and settle her insecurities. Now Phi pressed her sole advantage.

“It’s still very useful. You said…” Phi groped around in her memories for anything useful that Clover had said. The situation was too urgent for her to be discerning; she quoted the first thing that came to mind. “You said that all the Myrmidons looked the same but that no-one knew what they looked like. Dio confirmed that: he said that his clones would continue his mission.”

“So?” Clover asked suspiciously.

“So you know what Dio looks like. That means you know what all the Myrmidons look like. And you’re the only person who can get a message to the outside world.”

“Don’t you think I’ve thought of that? I’m not stupid,” Clover replied, leaning forward so her face was right against Phi, “I’ve been trying to talk to Light ever since I woke up. But I can’t feel him at all. It’s like he’s just vanished.”

“Aren’t esper abilities supposed to get more powerful when you’re in a life-or-death situation? The bombs will go off soon; that makes this your last, best chance to use your ability. Just because you haven’t been able to contact him yet doesn’t mean you can’t now,” Phi said.

Clover pondered Phi’s words. Eventually, she nodded. “Okay. Lemme think.” Clover turned her face to one side as she concentrated, still not releasing Phi. “I’m only gonna get one shot at this, right? I need to get as much stuff into the message as possible. Let’s see: Nonary Game, everything we know about Zero Sr., Radical-6, Dio and the Myrmidons…

“Ugh. It’s not enough! This is like the last thing I’ll ever do and I can’t think of anything else worth telling Light. If only we knew where we were. I mean, we don’t know how much damage the antimatter bombs will do to the area around this place. I want to give SOIS a heads-up so they can start evacuating. It’d be nice if I could do something that really made a difference, really know that I’d saved loads of people. Know what I mean?”

Clover stared at Phi expectantly. Phi guessed that Clover was waiting for Phi to tell her the location of the facility so that she could transmit her perfect message to her brother. Clover wasn’t going to let Phi go until that happened.

Of course, that wasn’t going to happen. Phi didn’t know – couldn’t know – where they were trapped any more than Clover did. Phi could do nothing but uselessly wait, pinned against the wall, as the timers on the bombs counted further and further down.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Sorry for the short chapter. It's because the Plot Locks are really packed together here. Here, we hit **Plot Lock 10: Location, Location, Location.** Until we can find something interesting for Clover to transmit, we can't continue, so we'll have to jump back to a previous choice. We have two options:_  
_1) Go back to the AB Game against Alice (chapter 34) and choose to betray her._  
_2) Go back to choice of Chromatic Door after allying with Luna (chapter 25) and go through the green door with Clover._  



	42. Inverted Spectrum

_We return to the magenta door routes and, after chapter 25, choose to go with Clover through the green door._

* * *

“Option B! I’ll take Clover,” Phi announced, marching towards the green door. At the stern tone of her voice, everyone stopped muttering and turned to face her.

Clover scowled, and started to protest, “What gives you…”

“No, Phi’s right,” Alice interrupted, placing a hand on Clover’s shoulder, “I don’t like it, but Phi’s right that we have to choose now. Sigma, K, guess that means we’re going through the blue door.”

Alice led Sigma and K in that direction, while Clover grudgingly followed Phi and Dio into the area behind the green door. Once Luna was finished checking Quark’s vital signs she helped Tenmyouji carry the kid through the red door, and all three trios were ready. There was still some time before the doors closed, and they waited in awkward silence; in particular, Clover stared longingly at where Alice stood in the alcove behind the blue door. But eventually the doors closed. Once the secondary doors opened, Phi, Dio and Clover headed down the corridor towards the next puzzle.

They only managed to get a short distance down the corridor before reaching a dead end. The room they arrived in was a circular atrium, with three doors leading off in different directions and which only contained a single lever, reminiscent of that which would open the Number Nine Door.

Clover stepped forward and examined one of the doors closely, before glancing at the other two. “Hey! All the doors are locked. Zero, that’s just… mean!”

Dio laughed. “‘Mean’? Heh. You must be stupid if you were expecting anything better from him.”

“Lay off, Dio,” Phi snapped. Once Dio had shut up, Phi examined the room intently. “If all the doors are locked, that must mean we’re supposed to do something with this.” She pointed to the lever in the centre.

“Well, go on then, pull it,” Dio commanded acidly. When Phi didn’t move he advanced forcefully towards the lever.

“No.” Phi blocked him. “I’d rather check it out first, make sure that…”

“Ooh, I can do it!”

When Phi turned back around, Clover was standing next to the lever. She smiled happily as she swung it down.

Phi sighed. “… Never mind.”

Once the lever returned to its original position, the door on the right responded, quickly unlocking and rising up into the ceiling. With a cheerful grin, Clover skipped towards the open door. Just as she was about to cross the threshold she paused, cocking her head bemusedly. “Huh. How come the other two doors didn’t open?”

Phi ignored the fact that Clover had taken so long to realise only one of the doors had opened, and thought about her question. “Maybe they’ll come into play later,” she answered, “Or maybe they all unlock when we complete the puzzle, or maybe…”

“Who cares?!” Dio roared, striding towards the door and shoving Clover forward, “Just get in there already!”

Phi followed Dio and found both Dio and Clover standing in front of another door. Phi peered around them in order to examine it; the only difference between this door and any other in the facility was a holographic plaque projected at about eye level, reading ‘Gaulem Bay’.

“What’s a ‘Gaulem’? “ Clover asked, “It sounds, like, sci-fi-ey…”

Phi stepped between them, getting close enough for sensors on the door to react to her presence; the holographic plaque dissolved and the door opened. “The only way we’re going to find out is to go in. Let’s go.”

 

The room they entered resembled some kind of high-tech workshop. The first thing Phi saw as she entered was a low workbench, coming just up to her knee. Lain out on the surface was a skeletal, metallic humanoid figure. Through the gaps in its joints, Phi could see the mechanisms and articulation that would allow the figure to move. At the moment, though, it was thankfully deactivated. Two crane-like robotic arms were implanted in the corners of the workbench, and the tools they bore hovered over the centre as if they were fixing the android; however, just like the robot they were supposed to repair, they were currently inactive, dangling limply rather than moving or holding position with the precision they were clearly capable of.

Clover was also peering curiously at the workbench. “So, ‘Gaulem’ means… robot, right?” she asked hesitantly.

“It makes sense,” Phi replied, “I think it’s named after that Jewish legend, the golem. It was a man made out of clay, supposedly used by the Jewish people of Prague to protect the ghetto from pogroms during the sixteenth century. I can easily imagine someone who was familiar with that myth naming a human-shaped robot after it, though I don’t know why they used ‘au’ rather than ‘o’ for the first vowel sound.”

Dio snorted. “I’m really glad you two girls are having fun flirting with that hunk of metal, but can we start searching for a way out already?”

Phi seethed. Annoying as Dio was, she didn’t have a good response. “Fine,” she replied bitterly, “Let’s start looking.”

With her first look around the room, Phi not only found the safe – it was embedded below the workbench – but also found two items that would probably be used to solve the puzzle. The first, right next to the gaulem’s head, was a boxy old style analogue radio, though rather than using a knob to turn the dial there were only three buttons on it instead. Phi expected that they would find instructions for using it later, and, in any case, the radio currently lacked a power source, so Phi left it on the workbench and picked up the other item. It was a chevron-shaped yellow block that had been left next to a pool of lubricant oil that had leaked, allowed to seek a way out through cracks in the gaulem’s left shoulder; Phi flicked the chevron a couple of times to clear away any oil still clinging to it, then examined the block. There were ridges running along two edges of the chevron, which Phi guessed would allow it to be connected to other similar blocks. By spinning the block around and considering the symmetry, Phi realised that three chevron blocks could be connected to form a six-pointed star. It was then that Phi noticed that the wall next to the entrance had a panel with a star shaped slot in the middle: it was clear confirmation that her idea was right.

“Keep an eye out for more of these,” Phi announced to the others, waving the chevron at the other two.

Dio just grunted, but Clover cheerfully replied, “Okay!”

With the first part of the gaulem bay – the area around the workbench – completely searched, Phi moved on. The room was demarcated into two areas by a bank of computers protruding from the left hand wall. The constellation of flickering lights and complex layout of controls convinced Phi that these machines were too complicated for them to use, and therefore too complicated to be involved in the puzzle. On the opposite wall from the computers was the exit door, but since they couldn’t open it yet Phi moved past it to the other side of the room.

Dio and Clover had got there before her, and were already searching. On the right, Clover was rummaging through the contents of cluttered shelves, while on the left, Dio had wrenched open the doors of a row of lockers and was searching through them as well. Phi went between them, approaching a poster prominently displayed on the wall. The middle of the poster showed a red eye staring straight at her, while above and below it were rows of letters, grouped in pairs. The letters didn’t make any sense, but Phi remembered the general layout of the poster for when it would become important later.

Turning around, Phi saw that, in an alcove behind the bay of computers that split the room, there was one that, rather than being an incomprehensible array of buttons and lights like the rest of the machines, was instead a perfectly normal desktop with a perfectly normal keyboard. This one might be usable. Phi examined it. The screen was off; tapping buttons on the keyboard did nothing, and there was no power button on the monitor itself. The only clue as how this computer might be used was a power cable with a strange attachment coming through a slot in the wall behind the desktop computer. Phi recognised the plug on the cable, and quickly inserted it into the back of the radio. The radio sprang to life with a crackling hiss of static, but failed to receive any meaningful signals.

 

Phi was distracted from her attempts to activate the radio by Clover’s exasperated wail. “Come on! Turn already! I know you can do it, little key!”

Phi ran over to see what the hell Clover was up to. She was struggling furiously with a toolbox, gripping its key crushingly and trying to twist it round in its hole. Despite Clover’s valiant efforts, the key didn’t turn.

“Hey, Clover,” Phi said cautiously, “I don’t think that’ll work. If the lock’s rusty or something, you’ll have to fix it before the key will turn.”

“Or you can just keep on trying to do it by brute force. It’s no skin off my back how stupid you make yourself. Go on, carry on entertaining us,” Dio said snidely.

“No!” Clover yelled, “It’ll turn. I know it will!” Before Phi or Dio could stop her, Clover had braced the toolbox against the wall. Then, for a reason that could only possibly make sense to Clover herself, she jumped up onto the shelf and did a handstand over the box, her right hand still clutching the key in its hole, her curly pink hair dropping down and obscuring her face. Phi could only guess that Clover hoped to put her entire – admittedly low – weight behind her attempt to turn the key. Phi was about to tell Clover to give up, when a piercing screech emanated from the keyhole.

“What the hell is that?” Dio said, cringing and slamming his hands over his ears.

Before Phi could reply, the rust or whatever else was preventing the key from turning gave way. Clover’s whole body turned with the key, and she somersaulted gracefully back down to the floor. As Clover fell, the lock opened with a satisfying click; the lid of the toolbox popped open.

“Yay! I did it!” Clover shouted gleefully. Then Clover glanced at the key, still in her hand after falling out of its hole. It had been mangled by the sheer force Clover had applied to it, the shaft bent and the head twisted disconcertingly out of alignment with the handle. Clover pouted. “Oh, you’re broken… I’m sorry, little key.” Then Clover tossed the key over her shoulder dismissively. “Okay! Let’s see what we got.”

Dio sighed. “Okay, that does it. This girl is officially loony-tune.”

Clover turned on him. “What are you saying, Dio? I’ll let you know that I got cleared as, uh, ‘psychologically stable’ when, um I shouldn’t talk about that…”

They gathered the items they had collected from the shelf in front of the toolbox. Clover removed a bottle of detergent, a small screwdriver, and another key from the toolbox – unlike the rusty key that had unlocked the toolbox, the silver surface of this key had been polished until it shined brilliantly – and laid them next to a blue battery and another chevron piece that she had found on the shelves. According to Clover, the rest of the items on the shelf were junk, so they then looked at what Dio had found. Dio explained that all the lockers contained lab coats: by rifling through the pockets of them, he’d found a tag with the name ‘Harold’ engraved on it, a binder matching ID numbers to radio frequencies, and finally the third and last chevron piece.

Phi took the three chevron blocks and quickly attached them together, forming a six pointed star as expected. Phi took the star over to the slot on the wall. After carefully lining up the points, Phi pushed.

The star didn’t go in.

“Damnit!” Now that the star was right in front of the slot, Phi could finally see that the block was imperceptibly larger than the hole. Infuriatingly, this wasn’t the place where the star was meant to be used.

Dio laughed. “Heh. You’re so hilarious when you’re angry.”

“Screw you, Dio,” Phi responded, “At least I’m trying. Hey, look, I’ve already got my next idea.” Phi went back to the shelf, picked up the binder of radio frequencies, and took it over to where she had left the radio set up next to the desktop computer. “While you two were searching, I was able to activate the radio. I guess we’re looking to set it to the right frequency.” Phi opened up the binder and inspected it. If they were looking for a particular frequency, and the binder matched frequencies to ID numbers, then that meant they were looking for a particular ID number – that is, for a particular person. Phrased like that, the solution was obvious. Phi picked up Harold’s nametag and turned it over; his ID number was on the back. That gave Phi his radio frequency: 400Hz.

Now that the radio had power, the three buttons on the front worked. It took Phi a while to work out what each button did – trust Zero to make any control scheme more complicated than it had to be – but eventually Phi was able to tune the radio to 400Hz. As she did so, even though the sounds coming from the radio still sounded like static, the monitor of the desktop computer sprung to life, the thin lines of a carefully drawn diagram displayed on the screen.

Dio peered over her shoulder, then chuckled. “Heh. Well done, Phi,” he said sarcastically, “We now know what the room we’re in looks like. _Congratulations_.”

The diagram on the screen was nothing more than a blueprint of the gaulem bay: utterly useless.

 

Phi retreated back towards the shelves, desperately hoping that one of the remaining items would allow them to progress. The most enticing one to try was the silver key; finding a hole for it to fit in would obviously be useful. The question was: where? The toolbox was open, as were all the lockers. If there wasn’t anything to open, where would they use the key?

It was then that Phi noticed that under the computer, coloured a dusky grey so as to almost fade into the surroundings, was a column of drawers. Phi approached them. Hidden beneath the handle of the top drawer was a minute silver keyhole, perfect for the key she was trying to use. Phi slid the key in and the drawer opened. There was nothing in it, but embedded in the base of the drawer was a familiar shape: a six pointed star. This time, when Phi inserted the golden star block it fit perfectly. The top drawer slid back; as it returned to its original position the second drawer sprang forward, revealing a grimy handwheel. As Phi collected it, she noticed that the base of the handle was another six pointed star; she quickly guessed that it would be just slightly smaller than the star block. Finally, in the third, bottom-most drawer was a computer tablet. Even when Phi pressed the buttons, it didn’t activate; it lacked power. Phi turned it over to find that the cover for the batteries was screwed in. Phi unscrewed it using the screwdriver and placed the blue battery inside. Even then, it was clear it wasn’t enough: there was still room for one more battery inside the slot, the relevant metal contacts bare to the wind. Still, even if she hadn’t managed to turn the tablet on, Phi was encouraged; she’d made some progress.

Clover and Dio followed Phi as she carried the handwheel over to the star shaped slot in the wall. As Phi carefully placed the base of the wheel in the hole, she felt it settle snugly in to place. As she turned the wheel, she felt the resistance from whatever mechanism it controlled; even so, she was able to turn the wheel smoothly and steadily, and it continued rotating until the mechanism behind it reached the end of its action and locked in its final position. Satisfied that the handwheel had done its job, Phi began to turn around to see what she had wrought.

 

“Aagh!” Dio yelled, followed by a sickening thump of skin on metal.

Phi turned to see Dio clutching his right fist in pain, glaring at her furiously. It didn’t take long for Phi to see what had set Dio off. Dangling down the wall from the ceiling was a row of six robots – no, gaulems – identical to the one that lay on the workbench. Most of them were staring straight ahead, but the one closest to Dio had its head twisted around over its right shoulder. Dio must have taken offence to the sudden arrival of the gaulems, though from the anguished expression on Dio’s face the gaulem had given as good as it got.

“Hey, Dio!” Clover shouted, standing in front of a symmetric row of gaulems that had descended down the opposite wall – she’d had the good grace not to punch any of them – “Don’t hit the poor things, you meanie!” Even as she said it, though, she giggled at Dio’s reaction.

As Dio nursed his wound, Phi took stock. Two of the gaulems that had come down were different to the others. One of them, next to the one that Dio had hit, carried a red battery in its hand. Phi retrieved it and added it to the tablet, which finally turned on. The screen demanded a password, which Phi didn’t yet know, but at least they’d turned it on. The other different gaulem, more or less opposite from it, was even stranger. It was wearing boxer shorts.

“So, do you think we’re meant to take them off?” Phi asked.

Dio acted outraged. “No way! A gentleman would never interfere with another’s underwear.”

“Um, so…” Clover started, “so you would hit one of those guys in the face, but you wouldn’t touch their, um, package?”

“Well, of course! That one…” – Dio pointed at the robot which he had punched, its head still leaning crookedly to one side – “attacked me first, right? So he’s fair game, deserves whatever he gets.”

Phi sighed. “I don’t suppose either of you are intending on realising any time soon that these are just robots. They’re not even moving!”

“You’re such a spoilsport, Phi,” Dio said.

Clover patted the gaulem wearing the boxer shorts on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I won’t let Phi insult you anymore. Now let’s get these things off you.” Before Phi could react, Clover ripped the boxer shorts down revealing… thankfully, nothing. Clover sighed. “Oh. I was expecting…”

“Don’t you dare say it,” Phi interrupted.

Clover frowned unhappily, but Phi had succeeded in inhibiting Clover from saying or doing anything particularly lewd with the underpants. Having prevented the embarrassment, Phi took the time to review everything they had found. Still unused were the poster with the eye on it, the bottle of detergent, the boxers, and the activated computer tablet, still asking for a password. One other device had descended from the ceiling along with the gaulems; it was a computer screen, glowing yellow, which had settled comfortably into place by the exit door. Phi tapped it to activate it. The screen displayed a grid of squares, each containing markings like those of a circuit diagram. Instructions were displayed across the top: they read, ‘Supply the correct voltage by connecting the wires. The circuit can begin anywhere on the left and finish anywhere on the right. You can rotate a wire by touching its corresponding square. The numbers in the middle of each wire indicate the voltage provided by that wire.’ Unfortunately, there was no indication as to what the ‘correct voltage’ was.

Phi reconsidered the remaining items, settling on the bottle of detergent. Its intended use was almost entirely obvious: they had to clean something. And though the entire room had the sort of general uncleanness that came with regular technical use, there was only one part of the room that was dirty enough to be hiding something. Phi returned to the workbench, and examined the area above the gaulem’s right shoulder once more. What if the oil leak there was not just caused by wear and tear, but was in fact intentional, to obscure something beneath. Phi poured the detergent over the oil slick, then reached for the nearest available cloth to wipe it away. Phi half suspected that Zero’s intention had been that they’d use the boxer shorts for that purpose; unfortunately, Clover was still clutching them tightly and unrelentingly. That made the nearest available cloth the back of Dio’s longcoat. Phi struck quickly, grabbing the end of the coat while Dio’s back was turned and swiping it swiftly across the oil.

“What the…” Dio exclaimed, “My coat! How dare you sully my coat?!”

“Knock it off, Dio. I figured you’d want to be useful, and look, you were!” Phi pointed at the table, where the number ‘120V’ had been revealed. “Thanks,” Phi said with a sarcastic grin.

Dio seethed, but didn’t do anything. Phi, now knowing the correct voltage, returned to the screen with the circuit diagram. It was tricky, but Phi soon managed to connect the wires up correctly. The screen displayed ‘Completed’ and then faded to black, its job done. Her success was also marked by an announcement. “Power distribution: complete. Pre-boot sequence: complete. Please press the power button located on the console.”

Clover shouted, “Hey! Look! A big red button!”

Phi span around. Amid the mass of blinking lights and controls on the bay of computers that divided the room, one particular button had been invitingly illuminated. Sitting inside a square of stripes of yellow on white – a warning sign if Phi had ever seen one – and itself coloured vibrant red, it had certainly been activated and highlighted as Phi completed the circuit diagram puzzle.

Clover got to it first. She examined it intently and excitedly, but then paused. She turned to Phi, a meek frown on her face. “Um, Phi. Alice says I’m not allowed to press these anymore.” – Phi could easily guess why – “Can you do it?”

Dio barged past brashly. “I’ll press it,” he said. The moment the words had left his mouth, he shoved Clover aside and slammed his hand down on the button.

 

The crackle of electricity came to life, spreading instantaneously along both rows of gaulems along the walls. The three of them rushed back to see the gaulems activate. Fortunately for Phi’s nerves – the robot uprising had always been a peculiarly personal fear for her – the only change was that the gaulem’s eyes had lit up. Phi noticed that not all the eyes were lit up: most robots only had one eye activated; some, including the robot that Dio had punched, had neither eye glowing.

Once again and for the last time, Phi reviewed her resources, looking for a connection. Her eyes settled on the answer immediately. The poster with the eye and letters on it grouped the letters into twelve pairs; Phi matched that to twelve robots, each with two eyes. Selecting letters would give a password to use on the tablet. She explained her rationale to the others, and they agreed.

“So, does that mean it wants the lit-up eyes,” Clover asked, “or the dark ones?”

Dio smirked. “Lit-up ones, obviously.”

Phi suddenly had an idea. “No, Clover’s got a point,” she replied.

“Yay! I have a point!” Clover said gleefully, “Um, what do I have a point about, again?”

Phi sighed, but carried on, “Back when Sigma and I did the elevator puzzle, we found two passwords that worked on the safe. The same in the lounge.”

“Huh? What are you on about?” Dio asked, perplexed.

“Don’t interrupt me. Two passwords. The second opened a hidden compartment in the safe: gave us a file with some more information. We’ll probably get a safe password both by using the lit up eyes, and the ones that are off.”

Phi brought the poster into the atrium around the workbench and between the rows of gaulems. It was only then that she realised the problem. The rows of gaulems were symmetrically placed, but the pattern of their eyes wasn’t. That meant she couldn’t work out, just by looking, which row of gaulems corresponded to the top of the poster and which to the bottom. She could just guess – it would only take two tries to find the right orientation – but trial and error was so inelegant that Phi seriously wanted there to be another solution.

Then, it struck her. The map! The map of the room she’d brought up on the desktop screen using the radio. The map of the room that Dio had dismissed as irrelevant. Phi skipped around the corner to check. One quick look confirmed her expectation. The floor plan of the room showed the entrance door on the right: that meant the gaulem that wore the shorts was in the top row, and the gaulem that Dio had punched was in the bottom row.

With that sorted, Phi returned. She rotated the poster so that its orientation matched the gaulems. On a whim, she checked the darkened eyes first. Quickly comparing the unlit eyes to the poster, she got the letters ‘REMINISCENHCE’.

Huh. That couldn’t be right. Not only was that not a word, it was one letter longer than the length of password the tablet would accept. Phi noticed that the letters she’d counted were only one letter away from ‘REMINISCENCE’… with that, Phi realised what was wrong. The extra ‘H’ came from the robot that Dio had punched, which had both eyes unlit. With the gaulem’s head still bent to the side from the force of the blow, it wasn’t a surprise that the lights had been broken. Trust Dio to make the puzzle harder. But now that Phi was sure that one password was ‘REMINISCENCE’, the other must use the remaining letters: ‘BEACON OF HOPE’.

 

Phi soon had the two safe passwords. She decided to first open up the safe with the password that would grant them the gold file. She retrieved the binder and flipped it open to the first page. As she could have guessed, the file described gaulems. Apparently the name was an acronym, standing for ‘General-purpose AUtonomous Labour Electronic Machine’. The most interesting section of the file described, with diagrams, how the skeletal frame of the gaulem that she had already seen could be augmented by something called ‘ABT’ – that is, ‘Artificial Biological Tissue’ – making them almost indistinguishable from real human beings. Phi was very disturbed by that possibility.

Unfortunately, before she could read further Dio snatched the binder out of her hand. “Let me have a look,” he scoffed. With a smirk plastered on his face, he leafed through the pages. “Very interesting…” he murmured. As Phi and Clover watched, Dio slipped the entire golden file securely into a pocket inside his coat.

“Hey! I didn’t get to see that!” Clover shouted.

“Do you really think that matters to me?” Dio replied stubbornly.

Clearly unable to retrieve the gold file from where it was ensconced inside Dio’s coat, Clover took the next best thing. “Fine,” she said, “But I get to open it up the second time. I’m not gonna let you do something like that again.”

Once Phi had told Clover the other safe password, Clover opened up the safe and gazed at the items in the main safe compartment. First out were two AB keycards, this time with a crescent moon symbol on them instead of a sun: Clover passed one over her shoulder to Dio, keeping the second to herself.

Next came another map, this time showing the second floor: ‘Floor B’. Phi could see that the rooms on this floor were arranged into four groups, corresponding to the three Chromatic Doors, red, green and blue, as well as another large room – presumably another warehouse – and other rooms behind it that couldn’t be accessed until one of the puzzles was solved.

After the map came another piece of paper with printed text on it. The size of the font was quite small, so Phi couldn’t see it from behind Clover, but fortunately Clover read it out loud. “‘Hare are some more AB Game rules for you. Not voting is not an hoption. If both parties refuse to vote, then everybunny gets penalised!’”

That was annoying. It removed one of the easiest strategies for getting everyone to ally with each other: just prevent anyone from entering AB rooms so that everyone’s vote defaulted to ‘Ally’. Well, it wasn’t as if Zero Sr. would have missed such an obvious trick.

Finally Clover took the exit door key from the safe and passed it to Phi. “Well? We’ve got the key!” Clover snapped as she closed the safe door, “Let’s get out of here already!”

Clover’s piercing expression made that an unignorable command. Phi, still holding the key, walked back over to the exit door. Dio and Clover followed her. That had been one tough puzzle, but the satisfying feeling of solving it made it worthwhile. There was only one last thing to do. Phi placed the key in the lock.

 

“Phwoar, you’re hot!” A deep, cockney voice boomed from behind her. Phi span around to see the gaulem that had been lying inert on the workbench now sitting casually on the edge, legs spread cheekily wide.

“Um, what?” Phi replied, nonplussed.

“Yeah, that was me,” the robot said, “Phwoar, you’re hot, Phi.”

Oh god, the robot was attempting to _flirt_ with her. Flustered, Phi advanced on the gaulem, channelling all her indignation into her expression. “Say. That. One more time.”

It seemed that even soulless robots could be intimidated. “Um, what I meant, guv’nor, is I can see the heat coming off your body. Infrared vision, see? Comes standard with gaulem bodies. See, your temperature’s rising right now.”

“Um, Mister Gaulem?” Clover piped up, “How come you know Phi’s name?”

“Course I know her name,” the robot said, chuckling, “I’m right familiar with all your names: you too, Clover, and Dio, all nine of you. Young master Zero’s keeping an eye on the lot of you with these cameras, right?” As he said this, the gaulem’s hand gestured around the room. “He keeps the videos in the mainframe. And I’m in the mainframe too, so it’s right easy for me to take a quick peek.”

“I think you’re confused, Mister Gaulem,” Clover said sympathetically, “You’re not in the mainframe. You’re in the gaulem bay with the three of us.”

“Well, me body’s here, of course. But I’m a computer program, so I get to keep me noggin wherever I feel like it.” Clover was about to speak again, but the robot spoke over her. “And what’s with this ‘Mister Gaulem’ business. That ain’t right. I mean, all me mates along the walls are gaulems as well. I wouldn’t go along calling you all ‘human’, would I? I’ve got me own name: it’s GTM-CM-G-OLM.”

“I’m sorry, GTM-CM-G-OLM,” Clover said meekly.

“How the hell were you able to remember all that rubbish?!” Dio snapped.

“Well, I’ve had a lot of practice memorising stuff,” Clover replied defensively, “Just because I’m a bit airheaded at times doesn’t mean I’m not good at stuff.”

“Hey, Dio, are you taking the mickey out of me name?”

As tempers rose, Phi intervened. “How about a compromise? Take the last four letters: ‘G-OLM’. It’s something we can remember and pronounce, like ‘golem’. That ok?”

“It’ll do,” ‘G-OLM’ said, “Now, where was I? Oh, yeah, I was talking about how us gaulems can put our minds in different places. So even though this is me body, it’s just the one I’m using right now. I could use any of the other gaulem bodies you see, or even one for another type of robot entirely. One of me mates lent me his body while this one was out, he had X-ray vision. Cool, right? Course, bloody nothing emits X-rays, so he was really just blind most of the time, if I’m honest.” G-OLM glanced towards Phi thoughtfully. “That ain’t something humans can do, innit? You don’t get the chance to look out at the world through a mate’s body like that. That’s why, when I made a perfectly innocent comment about infrared vision, you all thought I was saying something skeevy to an incredibly fit young bird.” – Phi sighed, but let G-OLM continue – “Well, it’s not like no humans ever have had the chance to look at the world in infrared. Now, look at that geezer, Sigma. I bet he gets a lot of perks out of that eye of his.”

That made sense. Phi was already sure that Sigma’s artificial eye was a custom fit. It wouldn’t be surprising if it had custom features as well. Even if infrared wasn’t part of the normal human visual experience, there had to be some way to allow the brain to interpret infrared light seen by an artificial eye. Such an ability would be incredibly useful in the puzzles of the Nonary Game. Where the other players had to search thoroughly through all the items of each room to distinguish the useful ones from the red herrings, Sigma would be able to tell which items had been moved recently from a distance, just from the extra clues seen by his eye.

G-OLM continued. “So, it’d be really difficult for any of you to imagine what things look like from where I’m looking. Well, now that I mention it, can any of you really imagine what things look like from each other’s point of view?”

“Of course we can! We’re all human, so everything should look the same to all of us, obviously,” Dio said, “… Though I’m beginning to have doubts about what the hell’s going on in Clover’s simple little mind.”

“You take that back!” Clover objected, “Wait, what did you say, again?”

“Cor blimey! You think it’s really that obvious, Dio?” G-OLM responded, “How would you know? Imagine there was some other bloke, saw the sky as red. You’d think it’d be right easy to sort out, wouldn’t you? You’d ask him, ‘What colour’s the sky?’ and he’d go, ‘Red!’ and you’ve got him, right? But no! ’Cause he’s always seen the sky as red, right from when he was little nipper. So his old man would have taught him that the sky was blue, and whatever shade he saw the sky as, he’d call it blue, ’cause that’s what his old man told him. So when you ask, ‘What colour’s the sky?’ he’d reply, ‘Blue!’”

“So it’s not obvious at all,” Phi agreed.

“Yeah, it’s all about how your head’s screwed on and wired up. Now, one thing’s true, Phi. Any bloke, no matter how his head’s screwed on, would say you’re one fit bird.”

Phi glared.

“You’ve got a face that no bloke like me would ever be likely to forget…”

Phi glared, harder.

“I don’t suppose you’d let me off if I said that was just my way of saying that computers have perfect memories, would you?”

“You’re just a robot!” Phi yelled, “Where do you get off, pretending you can feel romantic? You’re just a computer program, designed by Zero Sr. to screw with us.”

“That’s mighty cruel of you, Phi,” G-OLM replied, his entire posture shifting back where he was sitting, “Tell you what, though. I’ll make it up to you. I can’t do much from where I am inside the mainframe, not with the young master watching, but I should be able to jimmy open next-door for you.”

“Next-?” Clover asked.

“You didn’t notice those other couple of doors, guv’nor? This place has as many little shortcuts as the east end. Zero set it up so you’d only go the one way, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have a butcher’s at some of the other rooms down here. Even the safe in there’s hooked up to the mainframe as well, so you won’t need to solve the puzzle.” G-OLM’s body stopped moving and stared into space as his processing capacity was engaged elsewhere, until eventually he popped back, saying, “Done it.”

“Thanks, GTM-CM-G-OLM!” Clover said cheerily.

“Truth to tell, I was prob’ly going to do that anyway. I was asked to have a butcher’s at it by me dear old sis, said next-door would…”

Suddenly, G-OLM’s voice was cut off. Replacing it was a cold announcement: “Product ID GTM-CM-G-OLM has exceeded parameters. Returning GTM-CM-G-OLM to within parameters.” A small but sharp crack burst from the back of G-OLM’s neck and the robot collapsed forward. “GTM-CM-G-OLM has been returned to within parameters: now inactive.”

 

The three of them stared at G-OLM’s inert skeleton. Phi wondered exactly what G-OLM had meant by his ‘dear old sis’ and why next-door was so important. Mostly, however, she was just glad there was no more chance of the lewd robot embarrassing her.

“You know what?” she said firmly, “Let’s never speak of this again.”

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_This is probably the point where I break canon furthest: in the game they enter the treatment centre and the gaulem bay only opens later. I swapped this round for a few reasons:_  
_1) There are already too many cases where Phi enters the same room in different timelines and I wanted to reduce that number. The other time Phi enters the treatment centre is even harder to change because it's the one where we get 999 background for Clover's route, so this one had to change_  
_2) I'm guessing that the game's intention was that Luna opened the gaulem bay, just as she hacked open the treatment centre in her own route. Problem is, I can't think of a single reason for her doing so. There's even less of a reason for her opening the safe; the only thing in there of importance is K's key. If the explanation is that Luna opened the safe just so K could get his key because she knew they were on VLR's K route, well, that's just inelegant. I dismiss it._  
_3) The gaulem bay really fits some of the themes I have planned for this route. I won't say any more because spoilers._  
_4) Finally and most importantly, G-OLM is awesome. :) It would be absolutely criminal for me to not include him in this fanfic somewhere._


	43. Apple of Discord

Phi left the gaulem bay and found herself back in the corridor by the green Chromatic Door. She was about to leave and return to the upper floor, when something caught her eye from the far end of the corridor. Curious, Phi walked to the other end of the corridor, where the hub with its lever and three doors were exactly the same as when Phi, Dio and Clover had entered the gaulem bay.

Wait: not exactly the same.

Phi peered at the door opposite the corridor. Where the box next to it had previously displayed the word ‘LOCK’, it now enticingly read ‘OPEN’. Phi guessed that this was the ‘next-door’ that G-OLM had referred to: it must have been the one to unlock it for them as it had said it would. Once the door had opened entirely, Phi stepped inside. There was only a short space between that door and a second door, which bore a holographic plaque reading ‘Treatment Centre’, but this second door also opened automatically, and Phi entered.

Phi had wondered how this so-called ‘treatment centre’ differed from the infirmary on the upper floor, but her query was answered almost immediately. The treatment centre looked nothing like a hospital. The only things in the room that looked in any way medical were three human-sized pods, flanked by computerised control panels, that could be seen through the viewing window that separated their chamber from the rest of the room. There was nothing much interesting in the outside part of the treatment centre – it was furnished like a doctor’s waiting area, with uncomfortable seats and a tacky pair of houseplants, one of which had died – so Phi approached the door which led to the pod’s chamber. There was some sort of combination lock set in a panel on the door, but it must have also been unlocked by G-OLM just as the entrance to the treatment centre had been, because the door opened automatically.

 Phi entered and inspected the pods. The screens attached to two of the pods were blank, but the furthest one was illuminated with a welcoming blue back-light. Phi examined it. According to the screen, the pods had two functions, both acting on a sick or injured person placed inside. The first function was the general ability to treat wounds and cure illnesses, though the screen warned that more complex problems were beyond the scope of the treatment pod. The other ability the pods had was to cryogenically freeze a person, using something called a CAS: Cells Alive System.

Phi was about to investigate further when she was distracted by a commotion behind her. Phi turned around to see that Clover and Dio had followed her into treatment centre. They were arguing energetically on the far side of the viewing window. In order to find out what was going on, Phi left the room with the pods. As she returned to the waiting area, she finally noticed the safe of the treatment centre puzzle, tucked behind the seats. The door was open. It couldn’t possibly be the case that Clover and Dio had solved the puzzle so quickly. The safe must have unlocked with the rest of the doors in the treatment centre: hacked by G-OLM. Phi hadn’t expected the safes to be connected to the mainframe, but now that she’d seen it the idea made sense. It would allow the computer to determine when the puzzle was over, so that rooms with uses apart from their puzzles – like the infirmary upstairs and, similarly, this treatment centre – could be restored to normal operation. Phi rummaged through this safe, but there was nothing that had not been present in the previous safe. Phi turned away from the safe and went to confront Dio and Clover.

“Let go!” Clover shouted at Dio, “I found it first!”

“Like I’m gonna trust a clumsy idiotic girl like you with something as important as this,” came Dio’s snide reply, “Just do as your told and let the adults deal with it.”

Phi rounded the corner and saw Dio and Clover struggling to claim an item. Both of them had wrapped both hands round it and were holding on tightly. Phi couldn’t see much past the combatants’ interlocking hands, but the item looked like an injection gun: the needle protruded though the gap between their hands. As Clover tried to wrestle it away from Dio, the needle veered alarmingly in Phi’s direction.

“Stop that!” Phi commanded, “If you two keep waving that injection gun about like that, someone’s going to get hurt.”

Clover jumped with shock at the sound of Phi’s voice. Dio took advantage, twisting his whole body downwards. Caught unaware, Clover didn’t react in time, and her hands slipped off the injection gun. With a victorious grin, Dio slipped the gun into his coat pocket.

“Damnit!” Clover shouted with dismay, “That was neostigmatine. It’s important!”

“Neostigmatine?”

Clover scratched the corner of her mouth. “Yeah! Neostigmatine. It’s… um… It’s important!”

“You don’t know what it is, do you?”

“I _used to know_ what it is. Does that count?”

“No.”

Dio interrupted, “Well, I’ve looked at everything in here.” He gave no indication that was in any way bothered by the fact that he’d acquired the last thing he’d looked at by snatching it from another player. “Let’s move on.” Before either Phi or Clover could respond, Dio strolled nonchalantly out through the exit door.

 

Phi and Clover pursued Dio down a winding corridor, but they didn’t catch him before the corridor emerged onto another warehouse. This warehouse was almost identical to the one on the upper floor, but as Phi entered she immediately saw three key differences.

The first was that, although this warehouse had massive steel door similar to and in the same place as the Number Nine Door, almost no attention was called to this door at all: there were no markings or bright colours on it, nor was there any lever to open it. Everything about this door implied that it would be completely useless to the players. Secondly, there were no AB Rooms on this floor. As they had expected, they would have to return to the upper floor to participate in the next round of the Ambidex Game. The final difference could be seen on the wall that the AB Rooms were absent from. Arrayed across that wall were three doors. Each glowed with a pure white light, and had a familiar looking lockbox adjacent to its frame.

They were white Chromatic Doors.

“Heh. I guess we know where we’re going next round.” Dio was leaning against the wall of the warehouse, right next to a door that – according to the map – was a shortcut back to the elevator. There was no sign of the neostigmatine; Dio had hidden it deep inside his longcoat.

“I wonder what colours our bracelets are gonna be?” Clover asked.

“No idea,” Phi replied, “We’ll find out when the next round starts. Let’s go.”

Phi turned to leave. As she did so, she noticed one more feature of this warehouse: another bizarre message graffitied on the wall by the door they had entered by. It read, ‘Memento Mori, if the nineth lion ate the sun.’ Phi wondered what it could possibly mean. If the graffiti in the floor A warehouse was a good precedent, then it was possible this message was also intended as an anagram. What made that even more likely was the misspelling of ‘ninth’: Phi guessed that the misspelling was required to add an extra ‘e’ needed to make the anagram work. Of course, this anagram was much longer than the previous one, which would make it that much harder to solve.

Phi had just about prepared herself to start solving the anagram when she noticed Clover chasing Dio out of the warehouse and down the shortcut back towards the elevator. Much as Phi was curious to find out what the graffiti meant, the demands of the Nonary Game came first. She had to be there when Dio voted in the next Ambidex Game. The anagram would still be there when that was done. Her mind made up, Phi went after them.

 

Phi had to impatiently wait for the elevator to return before she could ascend to the upper floor. Eventually it arrived, and once it had finished carrying Phi back to the upper floor she raced towards the warehouse and the AB Rooms.

She arrived just in time to hear the announcement, ‘An Ambidex Gate had been opened. Forty five minutes remain until Ambidex Game polling closes.’ Phi saw Dio standing in front of the AB room he had just opened, twirling the offending keycard in his left hand and stubbornly ignoring Clover’s attempts to reopen their confrontation over the injection gun.

“Dio! The hell are you doing?!” Phi shouted at him as she strode into the warehouse, “Everyone else isn’t back yet!”

Dio turned around and shrugged. “Heh. The way I see it, we searched two rooms in the time it took all those other idiots to search even one. I guess that means it’s their fault if they don’t get back in time.”

“You do realise I basically solved the puzzle by myself while you screwed around, right?”

“You did so using _my coat_!” Dio spat, with as much venom as if Phi had committed an unpardonable crime. He held out the seam of his longcoat, where the oil stain was still conspicuously visible.

Before they could continue arguing, more players arrived, heralded by the thunderous rumble of K running at full tilt. K, Sigma and Alice burst into the warehouse, their exhaustion barely masking the frantic anger on their faces.

“Sigma…” Phi started, preparing to explain and mollify the new arrivals.

Before she could, though, Sigma spoke over her, his questions getting jumbled by his frenzied speaking rate. “You opened it? Wh-Why? Where’s Tenmyouji’s team; are they back yet?”

“Nope,” Phi answered his last question, “We were the first back.”

“Then wait a little longer before you open the AB Gate!” Alice snapped.

Clover approached her friend apologetically. “It wasn’t us.” Clover indicated herself and Phi. “I tried to stop him, but…”

Dio interrupted smugly, “It’s not like when we open the door really affects the matches, right? It’s cool.”

“No, it’s not ‘cool’!” Alice shouted.

K spoke more calmly and changed the subject to avoid escalation into an argument, though there still lingered a stern tone in his voice. “Your team returned quite early, Dio. Did your investigation go smoothly?”

Dio shrugged. “I guess. It was this room called the gaulem bay. There were these ‘gaulem’ things… Look, just go see for yourself, alright? I don’t feel like explaining it.”

While Dio was distracted by K, Clover struck. Skipping close to Dio with deceptive agility, Clover slid her left arm accurately under Dio’s coat. Even as Dio jumped back, Clover’s hand emerged, taking the injection gun with it. Dio grabbed her wrist, but Clover had complete control over the gun; she dropped it into her free hand and held it at arm’s length away from Dio.

“Got it!” Clover shouted exuberantly. Seeing the new arrivals’ confused expressions, Clover explained, “We found this while searching, but Dio snatched it from me. It’s, um, got ‘neostigmatine’ on the label.”

“What’s this stuff for?” Sigma asked.

“I dunno, but… I feel like I’ve heard the name somewhere before…”

Before Clover could carry on explaining, Dio shouted, “Give it back! It’s mine!” Dio lunged, using the grip he still had on Clover’s left wrist to yank her towards him and close the distance. Clover, caught off balance, couldn’t prevent Dio from taking back the neostigmatine with a vicious grab. Confident in his reclamation of the injection gun, Dio returned it to its pocket inside his longcoat and glared at the other players, daring them to protest.

 

Before they could, the magenta door opened suddenly and Luna and Tenmyouji ran in. Tenmyouji’s face was horrifically pale. “Have any of you seen Quark?” he yelled, the volume of his voice exhibiting his pure desperation, “Anyone! Please!”

“We found a pantry on the other side of the red door,” Luna explained, “But after we left, he just… disappeared.”

“We’ve looked everywhere, but we can’t find him,” Tenmyouji said dejectedly.

“You think he’s lost?” Sigma asked.

Dio chuckled morbidly. “Don’t you think you’re being a little optimistic there? C’mon, the kid’s probably dead by now. We’ve already found one corpse, right?”

Tenmyouji turned furiously on Dio. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

“Whoa, simmer down there,” Dio said shamelessly, “Just saying it’s a possibility.”

Sigma ignored Dio’s nasty conjectures and took charge. “We should still search for him. Let’s split up.”

They did so. Phi quickly headed to the elevator, trusting the other players to search the upper floor rooms thoroughly. It seemed they were doing so; only Luna kept up with her to take the same elevator down, so the other six players must have stayed behind to search the lounge, infirmary and crew quarters.

When they reached the bottom of the shaft, Luna asked, “Um, where shall we look for Quark?”

Phi made the decision quickly. They couldn’t afford to dawdle. “The green door. I should have a good idea of all the places Quark could have gotten lost past there.”

Phi started towards the door, but Luna tapped her on the shoulder. “Are you sure?” Luna asked timidly, “Um, I mean, mightn’t it be better to head to the warehouse on this floor?”

“No. I’m sure.”

Phi led Luna through the green door. The exit door to the gaulem bay was immediately on their right, so Phi headed inside. The walls of the gaulem bay were distinctly uncluttered, so Phi was quickly able to confirm that Quark wasn’t there. She also noticed that all the gaulems that had appeared in the room as part of the puzzle – even G-olm – had vanished, presumably by returning to their storage areas. Searching the gaulem bay had proved fruitless, and Luna was starting to look rather uncomfortable just being there, so Phi continued towards the treatment centre.

Quark proved just as absent from the treatment centre as he had from the gaulem bay, though the search there took somewhat longer because Phi insisted an making sure Quark hadn’t hidden himself in any of the pods. Phi groaned. She could only hope that at least one of the other searchers had had more luck.

As Phi headed out the exit door of the treatment centre, she realised Luna wasn’t following her. Phi paused a second to see if Luna would make up her mind, then asked, “You coming?”

Luna shook her head. “I, um, dropped something back in the gaulem bay. I think I should go and get it. Please, Phi, go on ahead.”

Phi hadn’t seen Luna leave anything, but she didn’t argue. Phi had more important things to do. She spun round on the balls of her feet and marched down the corridor.

It didn’t take Phi long to traverse the winding corridor; there was no sign of Quark, nor was there anywhere he could be hidden on the narrow, smooth-walled path. And so, Phi emerged into the floor B warehouse with nothing to show for her thorough search. There, Phi saw Tenmyouji standing dead still in the middle. Phi glanced at Tenmyouji hopefully.

Tenmyouji shook his head.

 

Phi and Tenmyouji were the second lot of people back to upper floor, finding Clover waiting for them on their arrival, and they were soon joined by Sigma and K. Unfortunately, they had also failed to find Quark. The group of them descended into despondency.

“I don’t get it,” Phi said, “With this many people looking, it seems like we’d be able to find him pretty fast.”

There were a few silent moments as the other players digested Phi’s statement. Then, K said, “Quark is only a child. It’s possible he’s become trapped in a small enclosed space.”

It was a provoking idea. It almost reminded Phi of something: some thought that only just evaded her recollection. Had Quark gotten himself trapped in some confined space, separated from the rest of the facility? What was it that Phi had seen, that made this idea resonate so?

However, before Phi could complete that thought, the cyan door slid open and Dio entered. “Hey!” he shouted, “You guys! C’mere!” He gave them barely a second to respond before shouting again, “What are you standing around for? They’re in the crew quarters! Just come on!”

What was he on about? Had he found Quark? If so, why had he said ‘they’? Dio didn’t explain further; he just backed out of the warehouse the way he’d came. Phi, along with the other players present, followed him.

Dio led them into the crew quarters and pointed at the cabin marked ‘02’. Clover was the closest behind him, so she was the first to see what was inside.

“N-No… No!”

Phi stepped up quickly behind Clover. Upon realising that the pink-haired woman was frozen to the spot, Phi sidestepped around her. Phi saw what Clover saw.

Alice, dead. Her body was slumped against the far wall of the room. A knife was embedded in her chest, straight through her heart. Her bracelet was off, lying inert by her wrist.

Luna, dead. She was sprawled across the floor. The only mark on her body was a small puncture on her neck. Phi immediately saw what had caused that wound: an innocuous looking injection gun lying on the ground beside Luna. Her bracelet was off, lying inert by her wrist.

Phi knelt down and picked up the injection gun. Although it would have made finding the culprit much easier, it wasn’t the neostigmatine gun Dio had taken from Clover. The label on its canister read ‘Turbocuarine’: the same poison that was in their bracelets. Luna must have died a quick but incredibly painful death, as all her muscles rebelled under the influence of the poison: a heart attack distributed across her entire body. Phi shuddered to think of it.

“What on Earth happened here?” K asked, once he’d finally gotten his bulky suit into the cabin.

“That bastard killed them!” Dio declared, “The one who killed the old lady in the AB Room!”

Phi, having concluded her investigation of the bodies without much to show for it – forensic science was hardly something she had much training in – stood up. “Maybe only one of them was supposed to be killed,” she said, “but the murderer had to kill the other one to keep them quiet.”

“Perhaps they killed one another,” K suggested, “If Luna stabbed Alice in the chest, after which Alice attacked her with the injection gun…”

Phi interrupted him. “That’s pretty farfetched. Look. Look at Alice’s clothes… No sign of a struggle. Besides, both of them died far too quickly for either to have retaliated. I don’t think they fought.”

“Were they killed somewhere else and then brought here?” Tenmyouji asked.

K shook his head, pointing and the pool of blood that had poured out of Alice’s wound and was spreading across the floor beneath her. “No. If that were the case there would be much less blood here.”

Their first ideas for solving the murder had not been very productive. “Whatever the case,” Phi said with a dismissive gesture, “we have too few clues to figure it out right now. We’d all separated to look for Quark. Any one of us could have done it.”

Sigma suddenly turned his head to look at her in shock. “You mean the killer is one of us?”

“Do you really think there’s someone else in here?”

Sigma shut up, but K scratched the side of his helmet thoughtfully and asked, “Could it be the case that Zero Sr. killed these two, as well as the old woman?”

Phi didn’t think K’s suggestion was likely – or, if it was the case, it was probably irrelevant: they still hadn’t discounted the possibility that Zero Sr. was in fact one of the players. In that case, it was still one of the players who had murdered Luna and Alice; the only difference was that they were also responsible for trapping everyone in this game as well.

Before Phi could say that, Dio interrupted, shouting, “How can you lot just stand around here talking?!”

Tenmyouji sighed. “Hmph. No point in making a fuss.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?! One of us is a killer!” Dio shouted, “I can’t think of a better reason to make a fuss.”

“You do realise you’re the most likely suspect, don’t you?” Phi said pointedly to Dio, “You could have waited until the rest of us have gathered in the warehouse, then you killed Alice and Luna. You pretended to be the first to find them…”

“Are you saying I did this?”

Phi shrugged. “I’m just saying it’s a possibility. You don’t need to get so worked up about it.”

Dio was about to respond, but whatever he said was drowned out by an announcement blaring through the speakers. “Ten minutes remain until Ambidex Game polling closes.” Much as they wanted to, much as they needed to, there was no time left to investigate the murders.

Before they left, however, K brought up one last possibility, seemingly brought to his mind by the impending deadline. “It seems that Luna’s vote will be set to ‘Ally’ by default this round. Perhaps that outcome is what the killer was after. Who would Luna’s opponent be?”

“Quark and myself,” Tenmyouji replied without hesitation.

Despite Tenmyouji’s calm and unflinching manner, Dio pounced on this declaration. “One person missing and the other’s bought the farm. I’d say this old fart’s the most suspicious one here. Yeah! You killed her so you could get a few more points in the AB Game!”

Tenmyouji didn’t dignify this with a response, but Dio’s outburst served to remind Phi that he was still her partner; she had to find some way to manage his unruliness during the next AB Game. Clover was their opponent. Phi would prefer for the three of them to be able to ally, bring them all closer to escape, but… well, Dio. He would insist on being in the AB Room, and he was perfectly capable of overpowering her and choosing ‘Betray’ if he wanted to. Stopping that was the most important thing.

“Clover…” Phi started saying.

“No! I’m not going anywhere! I can’t just… leave her here…”

“Clover, if you don’t vote, Dio might get out. He’s got six BP right now. If you don’t vote, you’ll automatically ally. And I’d bet my left arm he’d pick ‘Betray’. That’d put him at nine. Once he’s got that, there’s nothing stopping him from opening the number nine door. I’d try and pick ‘Ally’ of course, but Dio’s not an idiot. He’ll try and stop me or get in my way somehow.”

It seemed Dio was eavesdropping on what Phi was saying. “Yeah! I’m not an idiot!” Then he belatedly realised what Phi was suggesting, and his beaming grin turned into a scowl. “Wait, what the hell are you doing?!”

Phi ignored him. “What are you going to do, Clover? If you stay here, you might be letting Alice’s killer get away.”

“Fine,” Clover eventually said, “I’ll do it.” She still sounded sullen, and her eyes were still focused exclusively on Alice’s body, but Phi hoped her request had sunk in. With that, the players left the corpses behind and returned to the warehouse.

 

Phi and Dio went into the AB room that Dio had unlocked first. Phi had expected Dio to immediately approach the console and enter ‘Betray’, but instead he just leaned against the side wall, glaring at her.

When Phi started to ask why he was waiting, Dio sneered at her. “You’ve already screwed us over,” Dio said, “I figured you should be the one to enter ‘Betray’. ‘Reap what you sow’ and all that bullshit.”

Phi approached the console cautiously, but Dio made no move to stop her. She quickly tapped the button to close the door, then waited for the options to appear. They did so, and Phi moved her outstretched finger to hover over ‘Betray’.

Then she started to worry. Had Clover even been paying attention when Phi had told her to ‘Betray’? Sure, she had entered her own AB Room, but she had entered in a complete daze; she was still obviously shocked by Alice’s murder. Would she vote ‘Betray’? Would she even touch her room’s console?

If Clover failed to vote ‘Betray’ but Phi did, Dio would escape. Mightn’t it be safer to vote ‘Ally’? Even if Clover did reach nine points, she would surely want to stay to investigate Alice’s murder.

Her mind made up, Phi tapped the console’s screen one last time.

**Choice:**  
**A) Ally**  
**B) Betray**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_So we've reached another Ambidex Game. Vote in the comments to make Phi's choice._


	44. A Light in the Darkness

_So, after a closely fought vote, Phi's choice is made..._

* * *

Phi concentrated, trying to judge Clover’s state of mind at the moment the players had entered the AB Rooms. The more she thought, the clearer it got. Though Clover had been distracted, she had clearly heard Phi instruct her to choose ‘Betray’, and that was what she was going to do.

Phi pressed ‘Betray’.

Phi turned around to see Dio still scowling at her. “Heh. I guess that’s done then. Not that I care. You already managed to screw us over, just like you wanted.”

Phi ignored him. She’d made her choice. She was sure she’d made the right choice. She had only got to wait until the doors opened to find out the result.

When all the AB Rooms opened at the end of the round, and as everyone started to approach the results screen, Phi quickly looked round for Clover, hoping to guess her vote from her facial expression.

Clover’s face was completely blank.

Phi didn’t know what to make of that. Had Clover failed to choose ‘Betray’? When Phi had pressed the button, she was sure Clover had made the same choice, but – looking at Clover’s unresponsive face – she was getting worried. She didn’t have long to wait, though, as the moment all the remaining players were gathered in front of the projector screen it activated.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

Tenmyouji                       1                           Betray                       +3                          4  
Quark                              6                                                           +3                          9

Luna                                5                            Ally                          -2                          3

 

Sigma                              5                           Betray                        0                            5  
Alice                                1                                                             0                           1

K                                     6                           Betray                         0                           6

 

Phi                                   5                          Betray                         0                            5  
Dio                                   6                                                            0                            6

Clover                              6                          Betray                         0                            6

 

Phew. It looked like no-one would be prematurely opening the Number Nine Door quite yet. There had certainly been attempts to do just that, though. K had attempted to betray Sigma and Alice; if Sigma hadn’t responded in kind K would now be on nine points, and all Phi’s attempts to prevent Dio from escaping would have been wasted. Tenmyouji had also taken advantage of Luna’s death to guiltlessly get Quark’s BP up to nine. Some darker part of Phi felt relieved that Quark was missing: if Quark had been present she could easily imagine Tenmyouji encouraging the boy to leave, whatever the cost to the other players.

Though most of the players’ response to this result was amicable – Sigma and K in particular quickly demonstrated that they held no hard feelings – it was clear that there was very little trust among the players of the Nonary Game.

Dio, having given up on trying to make Phi feel guilty for not letting him escape, turned on Clover. “Ugh. So you choose ‘Betray’ too, huh? If you’d just picked ‘Ally’, I’d have nine BP right now.”

Of course, it didn’t work. “Why on Earth would I have done that?” Clover asked with barely concealed disgust.

“There’s no way Clover would have chosen ‘Ally’ when you had the chance to betray her and get to nine BP,” Phi said. She didn’t mention how close she’d come to disbelieving that explanation, and making the wrong choice.

“Are you an idiot or something, Dio?” Clover concurred.

“Bunch of smartasses,” Dio grumbled, but he didn’t take the conversation any further. Even Dio had to realise he was in the wrong here. Hopefully.

Phi turned away to see Sigma and K talking to Tenmyouji. Phi overheard them confronting him about Quark’s bracelet points and ability to escape.

“So you chose ‘Betray’?” Sigma asked.

Tenmyouji sighed, then said, “Of course. Luna… Luna’s bracelet is already off. No risk of a penalty for her now.”

“That brings Quark’s BP up to nine,” K said.

Tenmyouji crossed his arms defensively. “Are you worried that he might try and get out?” he asked, putting a subtle but clear hint of accusation in his voice, “Bet you’re all pretty happy he isn’t here right now, aren’t you? Maybe you aren’t saying it, but I know that’s what you’re thinking.”

Tenmyouji had described Phi’s feelings unnervingly precisely, causing Phi a small but annoying twinge of guilt. Still, it was true. Quark was on nine BP: that made him dangerous to the other players. Phi couldn’t blame Tenmyouji for increasing Quark’s score, but he’d have to accept the consequences for doing so.

 

Before the conversation could continue, the whining screech of the Ambidex Gates closing interrupted it. They were followed by an announcement: “The Ambidex Gates have closed. Round three of the Ambidex Game will be the Star Round. Star keys are required to open the gates. There is no set limit on usage of the star keys. The Ambidex Gates can be opened as many times as the players wish to open them.”

All six players remaining in the warehouse mulled over this announcement. It seemed there would only be one more round of puzzles. That was confirmed by the map of the lower floor they’d found in the archive’s safe: there were only a few rooms behind the white Chromatic Doors, and the paths leading out of them returned to already explored areas.

At the mention of the white Chromatic Doors, Tenmyouji looked at the floor B map curiously. “White doors, huh. Maybe that’s where Quark went…” It was possible. They had searched the area which had been unlocked for them and failed to find him; perhaps Quark had found his way behind the next set of Chromatic Doors where the rest of the players couldn’t yet go.

“Yeah, but you’re not going to be able to get through them until they open,” Sigma said, “We’ve still got eighty minutes until that happens.”

“When it does, we will need to form groups of colours that can make white,” K said, “As Zero Jr. mentioned earlier, our bracelets should have changed the moment the Ambidex Gates closed.”

“Time we had a look at all our colours, then,” Phi replied.

They examined their bracelets. Phi was still a pair, this time magenta; her partner was K. It was better than having another round with Dio, Phi guessed.

However, it wasn’t to be. Dio’s bracelet was green, and much as Phi wished she could alter the colour spectrum to make it otherwise, green plus magenta equalled white. Phi was reminded of the gaulem G-OLM’s philosophical ramblings: about how it was possible for a person to see colours differently to others, and yet not notice because they used the same words to describe them. Even that hypothetical person wouldn’t be able to escape going through the next Chromatic Door with Dio: as long as colour vision was built from the colours red, green and blue, a mixture of green light and magenta light would be indistinguishable from white light.

Sigma was a blue solo and Tenmyouji and Clover were the cyan pair. Finally, K produced Alice’s and Luna’s bracelets – taken from where they had fallen in the crew quarters – and showed that they were now the yellow pair. That meant that the pairings for the next round would be:

Phi and K would go with Dio.  
Sigma would take Alice’s and Luna’s bracelets.  
Finally Tenmyouji and Clover would go with Quark, who must be the red solo.

Once the groups for the next round were sorted, Dio spoke up. “I’ll be taking off, then,” he muttered sullenly.

Before Dio could turn around entirely and leave, Sigma asked, “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Anywhere that isn’t here. Hanging out with a murderer doesn’t sound like a good time to me.”

Phi chuckled morbidly. “The guy who insists on splitting up is usually the first to bite it.”

Tenmyouji also joined in. “Then again, loners often turn out to be killers…”

Dio succumbed to the teasing and exploded, striding aggressively in Tenmyouji’s direction. “Just what are you getting at, old man? You think I killed them?! You trying to start something, you wrinkled old piece of…”

Sigma placed a hand firmly on Dio’s chest and attempted to defuse the situation. “Knock it off. We don’t actually know which one of us is the killer, do we? We shouldn’t start fighting like this until we get some more evidence.”

K said, “We have no evidence yet, indeed, but we do know that Zero Sr. is one of us. And there are excellent chances that Zero Sr. and the killer are one and the same.”

“Then why did he kill Alice and Luna now?” Sigma asked, “If Zero Sr. wanted any of us dead, he could have done it way before this. While we were, I don’t know, _unconscious_ , for instance. What’s the point of setting up this whole game just to kill off two of your participants halfway through?”

“Then are you saying there’s another person in here somewhere?” Tenmyouji asked.

“It’s possible. I think it might be a good idea for all of us to look for the killer,” Sigma replied, “We’ve still gotta find Quark, too.”

 

The six players present prepared to search the facility once more, agreeing to meet in the lower floor’s warehouse. Phi suggested that they should search in pairs this time, for whatever protection it would provide against the killer, with each pair searching through one of the Chromatic Doors on floor A and one on floor B; her suggestion was quickly accepted, with Sigma leaving through the yellow door with K, intending to search through the green door on the lower floor, and Tenmyouji and Clover disappearing swiftly through the magenta door with the intent of heading through the red door.

Which, of course, left Phi with Dio.

It didn’t last long, though, because Dio had no intention of searching the facility at all. Even as Phi started heading towards the cyan door, he just leaned against the wall, shrugging when Phi glared back at him. “Screw this. I shouldn’t have to search for that brat. If the old man had taught him how to look after himself properly, he wouldn’t be in this mess. So the way I see it, it’s got nothing to do with me. You waste time if you want to, but I’m just gonna relax right here. Maybe I’ll search later. If I feel like it.”

There was no point in trying to persuade him, so Phi left alone through the cyan door. A quick look in all the cabins confirmed that Quark wasn’t in there, though Phi lingered on cabin two, the site of Alice’s and Luna’s deaths. Apart from the removal of their bracelets, nothing had changed. Phi gave both bodies another cursory search, but didn’t find anything that could point towards the killer. She moved on.

Phi walked steadily down the corridor leading from the crew quarters to the elevator between the floors. She had intended to go quickly down to floor B to continue searching, but instead she found her footsteps slowing down to a sluggish, distracted shuffle. Some thought was tickling away at the back of her mind. Phi’s subconscious was trying to alert her to something. Phi racked her brain, collating everything that she had seen and heard, trying to work out what had triggered this intuition. To strike now, it must have been something to do with Quark’s disappearance. Phi closed her eyes, replaying in her mind every conversation they had had after Quark had vanished. And then, after a few seconds of agonisingly deep thought, the memories struck her.

Tenmyouji had, just then, wondered if Quark had found his way behind the white Chromatic Doors, where the searchers weren’t allowed to enter yet and so wouldn’t find him. After their first failed attempt to search for Quark, K had mentioned the possibility that Quark had found himself trapped in a small enclosed space. Both these ideas resonated within Phi. She became increasingly certain that another uninspired search would fail. Rather than just keep searching the areas that the players had already looked through many times, Phi would have to search somewhere new, somewhere that the other players couldn’t think of.

And Phi knew just the place.

The sealed door in the wall of the lounge. Phi recalled examining it during the time between the first AB Game and the second set of Chromatic Doors. She was sure there was some open space extending behind it, and with Quark missing that meant she needed to investigate further. If he had found his way behind there somehow, and then gotten himself trapped, then it was up to Phi to get him out again.

Accelerating from a standing start, Phi raced towards the lounge. When she arrived, she rapped her knuckles against the steel plates, testing just to make sure she hadn’t imagined it during the rush as the players headed down to the Chromatic Doors. The metal sang with a pure tone. That confirmed it: there was empty space behind the bulkhead, allowing the metal to vibrate freely.

“Quark!” Phi shouted, projecting her voice into the space behind, “Are you there, Quark?!”

There wasn’t a response.

Perhaps Quark was incapacitated. Phi worked her way along the wall, continuing to test the metal by listening to the sounds it made as she tapped it. All the way across, the metal rang; Phi was able to visualise the size and shape of the concealed door. Just as Phi reached the far right, where the welded section started to disappear behind the drinks cabinet of the bar, the harmonics changed suddenly. They became much higher compared to the low rumble that she’d become used to hearing; that indicated a smaller panel, a shorter wavelength. Phi mapped out the area of this panel and found it to be a rectangle just larger than her hand.

There was something else Phi noticed. Even as tapping the panel caused it to ring softly, there was also a tiny amount of give: it rocked backwards sharply as she pressed it. Phi leaned down close to the panel so that she could inspect it meticulously. She pressed the rectangle in again, and heard a minute harsh thud just as the motion stopped. There was some lock preventing the rectangular panel from moving. Phi spread her hand across the panel and studiously tested its range of movement. There had to be some way to disengage the lock.

Eventually, Phi found the trick. When she slid the panel imperceptibly down, and then to the right, there was a satisfying click, and the entire panel was released from the restraint of the lock, swinging around 180 degrees. Phi stood up straight and peered at the object that the panel had revealed. A pristine number pad sat in the recess in the wall, a four digit display just above the buttons waited for the passcode to be entered. Given how hard it was to find, this number pad had to be important. The number pad had been hidden by a panel that had been disguised to look like it was welded over; was it possible that the door in this wall was also not a sealed as it appeared? If that was the case, maybe this panel would allow her to unlock the door.

The problem was, of course, that Phi had no idea what the code was. She hadn’t seen any clues in the facility which would hint at the code, nor did she expect to find any: the way that this door had been concealed made it clear that Zero Sr. did not intend to let any of the players through. That was the very reason she had been drawn to search there – to find an area off the beaten track, which the basic search would fail to cover – now that fact opposed her, by diminishing the chance that Phi would be able to get through. In one last desperate attempt to open this secret lounge door, Phi tried several default codes on the number pad – ‘0000’, ‘9999’, ‘1234’, etc. – but all of them failed. Phi was frustrated, but there was nothing more she could do. She let go of the panel and turned away. Once the pressure of Phi’s hand left the exposed panel, it forlornly flipped back over concealing the number pad. It was as though Phi had never found it at all.

 

Phi headed back to the elevator, resolving to rejoin the search of the lower floor. When she reached the bottom – the hub with the three primary-coloured Chromatic Doors – she chose this time to head through the blue door. That would take her to the room that Sigma, K and Alice had solved the puzzle for. Phi quickly walked along the corridor behind the blue door, eventually reaching a room similar to that behind the green door, with a lever and three doors. Only one of those doors was unlocked, the one leading right, which was labelled ‘Rec Room’. As it was the only way forward, Phi entered.

She found herself in a warmly lit, brightly coloured room, full of recreational equipment: a kiddie’s ride to her immediate left, a dart board on the middle of the wall immediately opposite, a pool table filling up the centre of the rec room. If she wasn’t in such a hurry to search for Quark, this place would be the ideal place to relax.

Even if she had intended to relax, any attempt to do so would have been immediately shattered. A swift metal projectile swept past her right ear. Phi spun around in alarm. There, standing in an alcove to the side of the entry door, was Dio. He stood with a careless grin on his face, holding another projectile – a dart, Phi noticed, now that she could see it properly – held loosely but confidently between his fingertips.

“Ha! Bullseye!” Dio shouted, looking past Phi at the dartboard on the other side of the room. He didn’t wait for her response; instead he casually let fly his one remaining dart. Phi turned her head reflexively, and saw the third dart arc straight into the centre of the board, joining the other two in the ring of the bullseye. “And another one!” Dio exclaimed exuberantly. He struck a ridiculous victory pose for three seconds, then settled down. “So, fancy a round?” he asked.

Phi considered all of Dio’s numerous faults, trying to decide which to comment on first. “Dio,” she said bluntly, “We’re supposed to be looking for Quark. _Quark_. Had you forgotten about that, or something?”

Dio shrugged as he walked over to the other side of the room to retrieve the darts. “I am looking for Quark. See, he’s not here. Besides, if I hit the runt with one of these babies…” Dio, having made it back to Phi’s side of the rec room, held out one of the darts, then flung it over his shoulder. It hit the bullseye. Dio smirked as he heard the thud. “… we’ll hear where he is pretty quick.”

“You never change, do you?”

“Why should I? I’m absolutely perfect.”

Phi gave up. Dio was as unyielding as the secret door upstairs had been. “Let’s go. The others will probably be waiting for us in the warehouse by now.”

Dio snorted. “Who cares? Let them wait.”

“I’m perfectly happy to leave you behind. Who knows, maybe the killer will find you here. Well, if you want to stay behind, that’s up to you.”

 

That finally motivated Dio to move. As Phi left the rec room through the exit door, he followed hot on her heels. They soon arrived in the floor B warehouse. Phi and Dio were the first ones there, but just as Dio was starting to twitch with impatience Sigma and K arrived.

They had good news.

“We found Quark!” Sigma exclaimed as he burst into the warehouse. Thank God. Phi’s failure to find the kid wouldn’t matter. “He was in the treatment centre, behind the green door.”

“So? Why haven’t you dragged him here?” Dio asked.

“There is more,” K said, “There is still some cause for concern. Quark may have contracted an illness of some sort. As such he has been left in the treatment pod.”

“Will he be alright?” Phi asked with some concern.

“Probably,” Sigma replied.

Phi started at Sigma’s noncommittal response. “‘Probably’? Did you even…”

Dio interrupted her. “Whatever. At least we found him. Pretty lucky he’s alive, too.”

K cocked his head to one side, pondering Dio’s last ambiguous statement. “What do you mean by that?” he asked eventually.

“I mean what I said, genius. I’m glad he’s not dead. Aren’t you?”

K sighed. “As equivocal as ever, I see.”

With that, the conversation trailed off. Phi noticed the awkward way that Sigma and K were standing. It was as if they had seen something else, or wanted to ask something else, and they weren’t sure how to phrase it; perhaps they weren’t even sure if it was important at all. Well, they didn’t have forever to wait for Sigma and K to get their wits together; Phi cut to the chase by broaching the subject herself.

“So, was Quark all you found? The way you were talking made it sound like there was something else.”

Sigma shrugged. “Yeah. I’ll explain that after Tenmyouji and Clover get back. There’s something I wanted to ask you about first, though. When you went through the green door, did you search two different rooms?”

Phi could see why that would disturb Sigma. It seemed as though every other team had gone only through a single room behind their Chromatic Door. Instead, after completing the gaulem bay, Phi Dio and Clover had found another door unlocked. It was rather suspicious. The robot, G-OLM, which had opened it for them claimed to have done so as a favour to the players, but it had also mentioned that it had intended to open the treatment centre anyway, as a favour for his ‘dear old sis’. What did it mean? Why had the treatment centre been opened, above and beyond the requirements of the Nonary Game? Phi explained all this to Sigma and K, but it failed to enlighten them.

“Maybe he really was just trying to be helpful,” Sigma suggested, “After all, if the treatment centre hadn’t been opened, we wouldn’t have found Quark recuperating there.”

“No, that can’t be right,” Phi stated, interrupting Sigma, “This was before Quark disappeared. None of us even knew Quark was sick until you found him in the pod. Are you saying the gaulem knew in advance that Quark had a disease that needed treating? If it wanted to be helpful, it should have just told us. Besides, how would G-OLM know? The only thing I can think of is that Zero Sr. intended for Quark to fall ill, and that’s why all his robots know as well.”

They couldn’t go and ask G-OLM what his intention had been. The moment that it had unlocked the treatment centre door, it had been violently deactivated by the computer system: probably to stop G-OLM from talking to them further. With nothing to go on, the line of enquiry faltered and trailed off.

 

They waited for about fifteen minutes for Clover and Tenmyouji to arrive so that they could be told the good news. Strangely however, there was no sign of them, even after all that time.

“Tenmyouji and Clover are running rather late,” K commented, breaking the silence, “Should we go and look for them?”

Sigma shook his head. “There’s something I want to check first. We might as well do it now, while we’ve got the time.”

Sigma led the four of them back to the rec room. Even as they arrived, Sigma gave no hints about why they were there. Instead, he walked over to a fridge in the far corner and removed something from it, but because Sigma kept it carefully concealed Phi couldn’t tell what it was. Still cryptically quiet, he approached the light switch by the exit door and suddenly flipped, dropping the room into nearly complete darkness.

“Whoa, whoa, what is it?” Dio exclaimed in shock, “You gonna start telling ghost stories or something?”

“Why, you scared of ghosts?” Sigma asked derisively, “Show me how brave you are. Stick out your bracelet. You too, Phi. Please. I wanna see the underside of them.”

“What do you mean by that?” Dio asked.

“I mean the side on the bottom. The side that doesn’t have the display on it. Come on, you really gonna make me explain this?”

“I know what you meant,” Dio said gruffly, “What I’m asking is what the hell you think you’re doing?!”

“Just do it!” Sigma demanded, “It’s not hard! I’ll do it too, just to make it fair.” Sigma gathered Phi and Dio into a huddle and bared his left arm. K also tried to join, but Sigma waved him away. “No, you’re fine, K. Your bracelet is a little different to ours.”

Phi held out her wrist next to Sigma’s. Eventually, however reluctant he was, Dio did the same. They would soon find out what the point of this was.

“Okay, just hold it like that for a moment,” Sigma said, “Five, four, three, two…”

On ‘two’, the head of a large, full spray bottle appeared above their bracelets, held in Sigma’s other hand. An icy fine mist erupted around their wrists.

“Gah! Cold!” Dio jumped back, clutching his wrist. “What the hell, man?!”

Sigma ignored Dio’s outburst and peered at his own and Phi’s bracelets. He smiled faintly. “Phi’s bracelet is clean. So’s mine, of course.”

“Wait. What are you talking about?” Phi asked.

“I’ll explain in a minute. Now, Dio. Just show me your bracelet.”

Dio still had his right hand wrapped around his bracelet wrist, and he turned away from Phi, Sigma and K so as to conceal it behind his body.

“Is something wrong?” Sigma asked pointedly, “Just show it to me. C’mon, Dio, we don’t have time for this!”

“Why do I have to do what you tell me to?!” Dio roared. As he shouted, he held up his fists threateningly.

This was a fatal mistake.

With Dio’s arms outstretched from his body, the underside of his bracelet was now exposed. Phi, Sigma and K could all see what Dio had been trying to hide. Faintly but unmistakably, Dio’s bracelet strap was glowing.

“What… why is his bracelet glowing?” Phi asked.

“It means he’s the killer.”

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_You may be wondering why this chapter came out a week early. The reason is simple. I've decided to release a chapter early because I'm celebrating having completed Empty Virtue. All 95 chapters, 312,048 words and 18 Plot Locks are now typed up. Of course, it'll take another couple of years to post them all, but the writing is done!_


	45. Death Forgotten

“It means he’s the killer,” Sigma announced.

Dio ran for it. He leapt towards the exit door. But he didn’t get far. K was already there, blocking Dio’s escape. Dio spun around and tried to flee through the other door, but Sigma dived in that direction, using every ounce of strength he had to get in Dio’s way. Dio had to pause to sidestep Sigma, and that was more than enough; K caught up and slammed Dio into the floor.

Dio wriggled where K had pinned him, but couldn’t get free. “Let me go! Get off of me, you fuckers!”

Sigma stood over him, a calm but hard expression on his face. “Dio, you killed the old lady.”

Dio continued to try to deny it. “No! You don’t understand! This is all some kind of… a mistake!”

Phi had been left completely out of the loop. “What’s going on here?” she asked, “I think it’s about time you gave me the full story.”

Sigma explained. Apparently, the old woman had originally been a player in the game; the blood splatter on her left wrist had left a distinctive clean band, proving that she had worn a Nonary Game bracelet. That bloody bracelet had then been taken and put on by her killer. As the Luminol showed, that bloody bracelet had been taken and put on by Dio, her killer.

“We’ve got you, Dio,” Sigma stated once he had finished explaining, “You might as well confess. Well?”

“Urgh… Alright, fine,” Dio eventually replied, “You caught me. I did it! I killed the old bitch and took her bracelet! You satisfied yet?”

“Why? Are you Zero?” Phi asked.

“No! I was under orders! I was sent here to do… something.”

There was a barrage of questions, with Sigma asking, “To do what?” and K asking, “Who gave the order?” as he increased the pressure on Dio’s back. Even so, Dio stayed recalcitrant.

“I’ll die before I tell you,” he spat, continuing to try to squirm out of K’s grip.

“So your orders were more important than Alice and Luna’s lives?” Sigma denounced Dio.

“Whoa, whoa, let’s not get ahead of ourselves! I killed the old lady, but that’s it. I don’t know anything about what happened to Alice and Luna.”

That… actually made sense. Dio had been genuinely afraid when Phi had threatened to leave him behind for the killer to catch. Sigma had definitively proved that Dio had killed the old lady, but it made sense for him to be one killer scared of another. Phi pointed this out to Sigma and K.

“Tread carefully,” K said, “This man is not to be trusted. He has already shown he is willing to lie and kill.”

“C’mon!” Dio gasped, “I’m telling the truth! You gotta believe me!”

“Even if we do believe you about Luna and Alice,” Phi said, “you’re still a killer. You just haven’t killed as many people.”

“Exactly. He should be restrained somehow,” K said firmly, “If we leave him be, he may well kill again.”

Phi thought deeply. “Is there a room we can lock or anything?” she asked.

K nodded. “Ah… perhaps we can put him in one of the treatment pods. Once we’ve locked it, he should be unable to escape.”

“H-Hey, wait!” Dio shouted from under K, “I’ll be good, I promise!”

But Dio’s promise wasn’t good enough for them. The decision was quickly made: the treatment pod would suit Dio just fine.

 

K carried Dio to the treatment centre, Dio screaming insults and threats at the three of them all the way there. When they arrived, K hurled Dio onto the base of the second pod from the left, next to the one that – as K and Sigma had mentioned – contained Quark. While Sigma and K struggled with Dio, Phi checked on Quark; it was the first time that she had seen him since he had vanished. Phi opened the lid of the first pod and examined the boy inside. He was unconscious, but breathing steadily. As Sigma and K had said, Quark was safe, but Phi agreed with them that he should probably remain in the pod.

There was one thing that would force Quark out of the pod: the requirement to head through the white Chromatic Doors. Phi reached down and turned over Quark’s left arm to examine his bracelet, to confirm that he wore the red solo bracelet as she had predicted.

It was missing.

Sigma and K hadn’t mentioned that. On the one hand, it was great news: There would be no need to remove Quark from the safety of the treatment pod, and he would be capable of leaving through the Number Nine Door even if his bracelet points dropped below nine. On the other hand, without Quark’s bracelet, Tenmyouji and Clover wouldn’t be able to get through their white Chromatic Door.

Phi wondered who had placed Quark in the pod, and who had removed Quark’s bracelet. Presumably, they were the same person. If the treatment pod did what it said it did, then that person, whoever they were, had Quark’s interests to heart, and so hopefully would return Quark’s bracelet to the players who needed it.

There was nothing Phi could do about it now. She closed the pod so that Quark’s treatment could continue, and turned back to see how Sigma and K were dealing with Dio. Despite Dio’s desperate outburst of strength, he was outnumbered and that soon began to tell, with his limbs being restrained one by one. The moment Dio was fully inside, Sigma dropped the pod’s lid over him and firmly engaged the lock. Dio couldn’t hurt them anymore.

He could still be heard, though. “Open this fucking thing! I said open it, damnit! You’re gonna pay for this! When I get out of here, I am going to fucking end you!”

That was quickly solved when the three other players left the treatment centre and headed back towards the floor B warehouse. Dio’s furious imprecations faded behind them until, finally, they became inaudible.

“I guess we’ve figured out who the murderer was,” Sigma said once they were safe from Dio’s racket, “and we’ve found Quark...”

“We still have to find Clover and Tenmyouji and tell them,” Phi said.

K forged on ahead of them. “We are already heading back to the warehouse. Why don’t we start from there? They may already have returned.”

 

Unfortunately, they arrived in the warehouse to find that that was not the case. It was devoid of human life.

“Perhaps they went to look for us,” K suggested.

Sigma sighed. “Aw man… Now we’ve gotta go look for them.”

Phi checked her bracelet. “There’s fifty minutes until the white doors open, so I don’t think we really need to hurry yet. Why don’t we wait a little longer? For all we know they’re on their way back right now.”

They waited. With the time they had available, Phi decided to ask more about Quark’s condition.

“By the way,” she started, “there was something I wanted to ask you guys about. Quark’s bracelet. When we found him in the pod, he wasn’t wearing it. Why?”

“How should I know?” Sigma replied indignantly.

“Presumably it had been taken off before we found him,” K suggested.

Phi scratched her chin. “So we have no idea where it is. I see. That’s not good. Without the bracelet, Tenmyouji and Clover won’t be able to continue the game. They need three bracelets to open the secondary door behind the white Chromatic Door. If we lose one…”

“Tenmyouji and Clover are the two people who are missing,” K murmured, “I wonder if that is, ah, significant.”

Phi nodded. “Quark’s bracelet is gone, and his two teammates have disappeared. Yeah, I think it’s significant.”

Sigma scrunched up his face in frustrated confusion. “What’s going on?! Does that mean Clover and Tenmyouji took the bracelet?”

Phi replied, “Well, if they found Quark before you did, yeah, there’s a good chance they did.”

“Then why aren’t they back yet?” Sigma asked the killer question. Why hadn’t they arrived yet? With so many people having died, every minute Tenmyouji and Clover were missing made Phi even more concerned.

K noticed the consternation on Sigma’s and Phi’s face, and offered up a less disturbing possibility. “Perhaps they’ve already gone through the white door…”

It didn’t do much to quell their nerves, however. It was far too impossible. “No, that’s not possible!” Sigma exclaimed, “The primary doors haven’t even opened yet!”

“Perhaps someone opened one of them,” K continued, “I don’t know how, but it’s happened before. Remember the three doors on the other side of the green Chromatic door. According to Phi, one of the robots inside the gaulem bay made the treatment centre open, even though that was equally against the rules of the Nonary Game. Perhaps this is the same thing. It is against the rules, yes, but if the person opening the doors is Zero Sr., or affiliated with Zero Sr., do you really think the rules matter? Zero Sr. controls the entire game.”

Phi pondered what K had suggested. “So are you saying Clover or Tenmyouji is Zero Sr.?”

“It is a possibility,” K replied bluntly.

 

Sigma shook his head furiously. “This is still all just speculation, though. Maybe we should go look for them again. One of us can stay behind, so that we don’t miss them if they come back.”

Phi agreed to be the one to stay behind in the floor B warehouse, while Sigma and K would leave and search the facility.

“Make sure you get back five minutes before the door opens, alright?” Phi called after them as they headed off, “Oh, and don’t forget to bring Dio with you.” Sigma nodded, then turned and left.

Phi was left alone in the warehouse. There was nothing to do but wait and hope Clover and Tenmyouji arrived – which they might never do, if K’s hypothesis was correct – but Phi resolved to at least do something useful while she waited. She could at least examine the graffiti in the lower floor warehouse one more time.

‘Memento Mori. If the nineth lion ate the sun.’ That was what it read. It was clear to Phi, both from the extraneous ‘e’ inserted into ‘ninth’ and by analogy to the graffiti in the first warehouse, that this message was an anagram, intended by Zero Sr. to conceal a second message. Phi would put the time she had to use by unscrambling this anagram.

This anagram was slightly longer than the one upstairs, which meant that it would be that much harder to solve, but the techniques Phi would use to solve it remained the same. Zero Sr. wouldn’t have written the message without intending for someone to solve it, so it would probably be easier than any random jumble of words. Start with small words – if it was anything like the other anagram the solution would form a complete sentence, small words and all –and separate them from the rest of the message. There were two ‘the’s and an ‘if’ in the sentence already, ‘at’ inside ‘ate’, ‘on’ inside ‘lion’: removing these from the rest of the message left, ‘Memento mori. Nineth li e sun.’

Then, Phi looked for longer words. Removing and using a long enough word should leave the remaining letters obvious. Phi tried different words again and again – ‘Minute’, ‘Torrent’, ‘Summit’… - but even after much thought none of them left letters behind that seemed to work, even with any combination of the small words. Fair enough. Anagrams were difficult; Phi hadn’t expected to solve this one on the first try.

Try again: perhaps Phi had accidently thrown away the letters she needed with the small words. If Phi brought them back in, maybe she could construct the words she needed. Using one of the ‘the’s and ‘at’ allowed her to make ‘theatre’, but Phi doubted that Zero Sr. would create a complicated anagram just to discuss acting. Instead, in a moment of inspiration, Phi tried to include the letters of ‘if’ in a word; the first one that came to mind was ‘infinite’.

Everything clicked. The message hidden in the anagram was, ‘The man on the moon rules the infinite time.’

What the hell did that mean?! Phi had been angry when she had realised that the previous anagram existed only to mock the players – ‘Welcome to my kingdom!’ indeed – but this was, if anything, even more annoying. A cryptic message, it was impossible to understand without context, and Phi couldn’t imagine what sort of crazy context motivated their insane gamemaster.

As she considered it, Phi realised that much time had passed since Sigma and K had left, and she had yet to see anyone else arrive at the floor B warehouse. Not only had Clover and Tenmyouji failed to show up, but Sigma and K hadn’t yet returned either. Phi started to get worried. Given the amount of time that had passed without any news, and as the oppressive stillness closed in around her, Phi decided that she needed to search for Sigma and K, and try and find out for herself what the hell was going on.

Phi tried to predict where Sigma and K would be searching right now. If she was them, she would have searched floor B first, before moving to the upper floor. They would have already finished their traversal of the lower floor in the time it took for her to solve the anagram; therefore, Phi headed to the elevator, hoping to intercept them on floor A.

 

Phi had only just exited the elevator on the upper floor when she ran into Sigma emerging from the door into the lounge. Phi found herself immensely relieved that he hadn’t disappeared into a black hole the way Tenmyouji and Clover had, but she kept that relief from showing in her expression.

“What’re you doing?” Sigma exclaimed as he saw Phi, “You’re supposed to be waiting back in the warehouse.”

“Yeah, I know. I just decided to go check on you guys. I waited a long time and nobody showed up. Judging by your face, you haven’t found them either. Damn… Where’s K?”

Just as Sigma’s neutral expression indicated that he’d failed to find the missing players, it also showed that he hadn’t lost K. Sigma confirmed that by saying, “He’s in the lounge.”

Phi was curious. “You decided to split up?” she asked quizzically as she entered the lounge. She arrived to find K laid out on the couch, perfectly unmoving. “What’s up with him?” she asked Sigma, who had followed her in.

“I guess he’s not feeling too well,” Sigma explained, “He said he wanted to rest for a bit. I think he’s alright. We should leave him alone right now, though. Remember, there’s a real person inside that suit. I’m sure he’s just tired.”

It wasn’t anything to do with Phi what K did with his time, and she was sure Sigma and K had done their best to find the other players, so Phi let K be. Instead, Phi led Sigma over to the other side of the lounge and carefully lowered her voice to whisper, so as not to disturb K’s rest.

“Sigma, how’re you feeling?”

Sigma was startled. “What? Huh?”

“I feel tired just looking at you.” That was true. Somehow, Sigma’s wrinkles had managed to deepen, and his one remaining natural eye only accentuated his gaunt expression with its lazy, unfocused wandering. “Your face looks like a week-old sock.”

Sigma sighed wearily. “Well, I guess I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little exhausted. I mean, all of a sudden I wake up trapped in some weird-ass game, and then the dead bodies start turning up. Honestly, I’m amazed I’ve managed to hold onto my sanity for this long. Just about everything here makes absolutely zero sense. The more I try and figure any of it out, the more I feel like my brain’s just going to melt and run out my ears. You know what I’m talking about, right? We’ve managed to figure out who the killer was, but there’s still a hundred other questions we have no idea about: where the hell are we? Why are we even here? What’s this whole Nonary Game thing for? And what is Zero Sr. up to? Hell, how about who Zero Sr. is?” Sigma paused, flustered after his lengthy speech, then asked, “Do you think it’s Dio?”

Phi frowned. “Who knows? It doesn’t seem right to me, though. You said Dio killed the old lady to take her bracelet, right? That’s how you proved it was him. But I don’t see why Zero Sr. would need to kill anyone to get their bracelet. He wouldn’t need to stab her, either. All he’d have to do is get Zero Jr. to activate the bracelet and inject the turbocuarine. So whatever Dio’s flaws, I don’t think he’s Zero Sr.”

“Besides, we still don’t know why Dio killed her. He said he was ordered to do it, but…” Sigma trailed off. He gazed absent-mindedly into the corner of the room for about a minute before continuing. “There’s more, too. What about the old lady? Who is she? What’s her deal? Hell, what are any of our deals? I don’t know jack shit about anybody here. I don’t even know anything about _you_ , Phi.”

Phi refused to quiver under Sigma’s accusing glare. When he didn’t let up, Phi exclaimed, “Are you serious? You can’t honestly suspect me, can you? I’m just like you. I was kidnapped on December 12th and brought here too. I…”

Phi’s attempts to deflect Sigma’s suspicions were interrupted by a sharp loud knocking sound coming from the direction of the elevator. Phi reflexively stopped talking and spun around to face the sound.

Sigma had done the same. “You heard that too, right?” he asked with alarm.

“It came from the hallway.” Phi led Sigma out through the exit door of the lounge and towards where she thought the sound was coming from. They arrived in the corridor only to find no sign of whatever it was that has made the surprising noise. Even when Sigma and Phi fanned out, with Sigma heading towards the elevator and Phi walking cautiously in the other direction, neither of them found the cause of the sound.

“There’s nobody here…” Phi murmured.

“Maybe they got on the elevator,” Sigma suggested.

Phi quickly realised a way to test Sigma’s theory. “Let’s try hitting the button. If the door doesn’t open immediately, then we’ll know the elevator’s downstairs.” The moment she’d explained enough so that Sigma would understand, Phi slammed the button. The five seconds it took for the elevator doors to finally open confirmed exactly what she’d said. “Thought so. Let’s go.”

 

Phi and Sigma took the elevator down, hoping to pursue whoever had made the noise to the lower floor. They arrived to find the red, green and blue Chromatic Doors all closed, with no clue as to which direction their quarry had taken. Phi decided that their best choice was to head through the green door. The treatment centre was behind there, so even if they failed to find the cause of the knocking sound that had disturbed them, they would at least have the chance to check up on both Dio and Quark.

They didn’t see anything in the short corridor behind the green Chromatic Door, and so continued on into the treatment centre. Through the viewing window in there, Phi perceived no noticeable alterations to the treatment pods. Just to be sure, however, Phi went and checked them up close as well.

Quark was still resting peacefully in his pod. Nothing had happened to him.

Then Phi opened up Dio’s pod, taking care to make sure he wouldn’t use the opening to escape.

But there was no need for that caution. Dio was dead. His hands, frozen into place by rigor mortis, were clenched desperately around his throat, grasping futilely for the last bit of breathable air. The man who had callously stabbed the old lady to death had slowly and painfully asphyxiated.

Phi noticed that the computer panel next to Dio’s pod was urgently flashing red. The text on the screen read, ‘Oxygen Level: 0%’. This was the cause of Dio’s death: the oxygen level in his pod had been deliberately lowered using the control panel. The question was, who had tampered with Dio’s pod?

“Look, we should go tell K about this,” Phi said to Sigma once they had both taken stock of Dio’s death. Sigma appeared, on top of the tiredness that Phi had noticed earlier, completely staggered by Dio’s gruesome death, so Phi shook him vigorously by the shoulders to snap him out of it. “Come on! Let’s go!”

 

Sigma followed Phi back to the lounge in a debilitating daze, but Phi couldn’t wait for him to recover: they needed to inform K as quickly as possible. Phi burst into the lounge and, on confirming that K was still where he had lain earlier, shook him awake.

“Wh-What is it?” K mumbled as he roused from his rest.

Phi described how they had found Dio dead. Due to K’s mask she couldn’t see his reaction, but she was sure he was as alarmed as she and Sigma had been.

“But… why?” K murmured, “I thought that Dio was the one who killed the old woman, Alice, and Luna… Then who killed him, if he was the murderer?”

“The only people who could have done are Clover and Tenmyouji,” Sigma suggested.

Phi felt obliged to add one more possibility, for completeness’ sake. “There’s also Quark…”

Sigma objected, “No! That’s impossible! Are you suggesting that Quark woke up, opened his pod from the inside, killed Dio, and then went back to sleep?”

“No, I’m just saying that strictly speaking, it’s a possibility. So just, you know, take it into consideration.”

Perhaps it had been a bad idea for Phi to mention it, because it prompted K to suggest another possibility – from his point of view, at least. “In that case, Phi, I hate to say it, but doesn’t that mean you could have done it? You could have done it any time after Sigma and I left the floor B warehouse.”

“Don’t give me that,” Phi snapped, “I was waiting for Clover and Tenmyouji to show up. They never did, though, so I got impatient and went to find you guys. Then I bumped into Sigma in front of the lounge. Some strange knocking sound led us to the elevator and then to the treatment centre, where we found Dio. So there must have been someone else running around.”

K thought about it, then nodded. “I see. Then perhaps it is likely that Clover and Tenmyouji are at fault.”

“Were the two of you together the whole time you were investigating? You never split up or anything?” Phi asked.

They hadn’t; Sigma and K could confirm each other’s alibis. That was as far as Phi’s investigation into Dio’s murder could go. They only had seven minutes before the white Chromatic Doors opened, and had to pay attention to the Nonary Game itself, rather than the killings that had been allowed by it.

“Let’s get back to the floor B warehouse,” Phi said, “Maybe Clover and Tenmyouji are already there.”

“Oh, where’s Dio’s bracelet?” K asked, “You didn’t take it? Dio was the green solo, Phi and I are the magenta pair.”

Of course. Without Dio’s bracelet, Phi and K would be unable to get through the Chromatic Door. Even as they headed to the lower floor warehouse, they would have to make a detour to the treatment centre to collect Dio’s bracelet on their way down. When they reached the bottom of the elevator, K offered to do so and after handing Sigma Luna’s and Alice’s bracelets – which Sigma would need to enter the Chromatic Door – K walked away through the green Chromatic Door.

 

Sigma and Phi continued on into the warehouse. To their dismay, Tenmyouji and Clover were not present. With so much time having passed since anyone had last seen them, Phi couldn’t help but believe that the only reasonable explanation for their absence was that they were already dead.

Sigma read her despondent expression. “You better not give me that ‘Maybe they’re already dead,’ crap. We got enough of that from Dio. This isn’t funny, Phi. If that were true, then you, K, Quark, and I are the only people still alive in here!”

“Hey, lay off. I want to believe they’re alive too. But…”

Before Phi could finish, K returned from the direction of the treatment centre. “I apologise for keeping you,” he said, the tone of his voice somewhat dull compared to before.

“Did you get Dio’s bracelet?” Phi asked.

“Technically, yes, but…” In lieu of explaining, K simply handed Dio’s bracelet to Phi for her to examine. The screen was cracked. The screen was completely black. Dio’s bracelet had been smashed beyond repair. “I assume that whoever murdered Dio did this.”

Just then, the white Chromatic Doors opened. The speakers in the warehouse announced their time limit: five minutes before they closed. And in that moment, Phi realised it was a countdown to her death. Dio’s bracelet was as good as gone; without it, K and Phi would be penalised the moment the white Chromatic Doors closed.

“I see. That’s what they wanted,” Phi whispered as the dread began to take hold, “Whoever killed Dio wanted to use the game to kill me and K. That’s why they broke the bracelet.” Phi paused. Her heart began to pound furiously. There was no way that she or K could survive. The only thing left to do in her dwindling remaining time was ensure the survival of those that could. “Go on ahead, Sigma,” she instructed wearily, “You have those bracelets K gave you, right? You should be able to get through with those. So just…”

Sigma shouted over her indignantly, “Fuck that! You know I can’t just ditch you guys like that!”

K bowed his head. “But if you stay here, you’ll…”

“You think I don’t know that? But what kind of monster am I if I just leave you here to die?”

Then, just as Sigma finishing declaring his idiotic intention to die with them, his expression went strangely blank and his eye misted over. Phi thought for a moment that he was changing his mind. But this trance wasn’t in any way natural; Sigma stood perfectly and unnaturally still. After half a minute like this, Sigma suddenly gasped.

“The antidote.” The words forced their way out of Sigma’s mouth. Then, once Sigma had caught his breath, he yelled, “Stay here! I’ll be right back.” Before Phi or K could ask what he meant, Sigma raced away from them towards one of the doors back into the facility. Only seconds after he had snapped out of his trance, Sigma had vanished from the room.

Phi tried to comprehend what the hell had happened, what Sigma was trying to do. ‘The antidote’? The players had heard no mention of an antidote the entire time they had been playing the Nonary Game. If there was some antidote that could protect Phi and K from the turbocuarine in their bracelets, how had Sigma found out about it, and why had he only mentioned it now.

Phi tried to chase after Sigma, but K’s firm hand on her shoulder restrained her. “Sigma instructed us to remain here. I believe it is for the best if we do as he says. Sigma is doing what he needs to, to save our lives.”

“Wait. Do you know what Sigma’s doing?” Phi asked sharply.

“I, ah, suppose so. He has recalled the injection gun containing neostigmatine. That is what he is going to get.”

“How?! How do you know what Sigma’s doing? How the hell do you know that this neostigmatine is going to save our lives.”

K shook his head mournfully. “I believe I have already said too much. In any case, it doesn’t matter. Sigma will soon return, and then…” Before K could finish, three things happened.

First, Sigma burst back in, the injection gun in his hands and a desperate grimace on his face.

Then, the white Chromatic Doors closed behind them.

As that fact registered in Phi’s mind, the needles in her bracelet stabbed into her wrist. Aided by her rapid heart-rate, the Soporil Beta in them quickly spread throughout her body. Her mind quickly clouded over. As her legs began to weaken, Phi collapsed, the pain from the clumsy fall making itself felt even to her befuddled mind.

Phi couldn’t see a thing. Could barely hear a thing. But she felt something. There was a sharp sting as the needle of the injection gun entered her arm. Her eyelids fluttered open and closed as she tried to perceive the person who had injected her. Sigma. The shadow in front of her looked like Sigma.

“Sigma… What the…” Phi mumbled.

Sigma sighed softly. He was also suffering from the effects of the anaesthetic. “I injected you with the antidote to the muscle relaxant,” he said, “There was only one dose: just enough for you.”

“Why did you pick me? Why didn’t you… inject yourself?”

Sigma sighed. “Heh. Guess you’ve got a point… Honestly? Didn’t even cross my mind.”

“You are… the biggest… idiot on the planet.” Phi was going to be the only one of them to survive. She couldn’t deal. She couldn’t deal with being the only one of them to live through this. With her last words, Phi said exactly what she thought. She didn’t care how it would affect anyone who heard it, least of all Sigma. After all, he had chosen to die. “Screw this. I don’t want… to live if it means… being in debt… to you…”

As Phi’s eyes drifted closed, the last thing she saw was Sigma trying to shake her back awake. It failed, and Phi’s mind was lost to darkness.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_I'll go back to a fortnightly update schedule next time but until then, Merry Christmas!_

 


	46. PHI END: Last One Standing

Phi awoke.

She didn’t remember falling asleep. Why had she fallen asleep? Why was the bed so cold and hard beneath her?

Phi forced open her eyes.

Bright lights, distorted by the haze in Phi’s eyes as she recovered, pierced down at her. Where was she? What had she been doing before?

Then Phi remembered.

The Nonary Game. They’d been just about to enter the third Chromatic Door. Why hadn’t they done so? Dio’s bracelet had been broken. Phi and K didn’t have the three bracelets they needed to enter their door.

Did that mean… that Phi was dead?

She didn’t feel dead. Woozy, yes. Aching, yes. But not dead. Phi moved her bracelet in front of her eyes; the stiff movement of her arm was all she could manage yet. The bracelet was still firmly attached to her wrist. It didn’t think she was dead yet; it would have fallen off, otherwise. Still, as Phi’s eyes focused on the screen, she saw the display flickering. Half the time, it displayed normally: a magenta ‘5’, her BP and team colour. The other half, the display flashed a pink skull-and-crossbones, symbol of the penalty it had attempted to inflict on her. The bracelet had tried to kill her, and failed.

Phi scrambled up, scanning around her for any hint of what had happened. As her arms flailed out, they caught an injection gun lying abandoned on the floor. She picked it up and examined it. It was the injection gun full of neostigmatine that Clover had found earlier and Dio had taken from her. Sigma had found it. This must be why Phi had survived the poisonous payload from her bracelet. As Phi clambered to her feet, she felt the twinge in her left bicep where she had been injected.

For a brief, brilliant moment, Phi thought that meant Sigma and K would have survived as well. She was sadly mistaken.

To her right, Sigma and K lay motionless. Sigma’s and K’s corpses lay motionless. Phi turned over the injection gun in her hand. It had only one vial of antidote, only one dose to save only one life. Sigma had chosen Phi.

Phi staggered over to where Sigma lay, slumped over K’s armour, and turned him upright so that she could see his face. At the very least, Sigma had died painlessly; there was no sign on his face of the agony that the turbocuarine would have caused if it had not been numbed by the Soporil. His face was unfocused, yes, and it fell limply to the other side as Phi let go, but rather than a painful grimace his lips formed a slight, satisfied smile.

“Goddammit, Sigma,” Phi muttered mournfully, “You sentimental idiot. Why the hell didn’t you just go through the white Chromatic Door? You should have gone through. I told you to go through… Idiot.”

Sigma didn’t respond. He was dead.

Phi let Sigma’s body drop. It was just an object now. Phi couldn’t afford to get sentimental about an object. The personality inside – Sigma’s infuriating but ever kind personality – was gone. There was nothing Phi could do for him now.

Then Phi looked at K. To her dull surprise, his helmet was no longer flush with the collar of his suit of armour. Somehow, it had been unlocked. Phi didn’t know when and by now she didn’t really care. Still, it was a chance to get a look at K’s face. With both hands, Phi shuffled the helmet away from K’s head, uncovering the face beneath.

It didn’t matter. K’s face wasn’t one that she recognised. He was a young adult man, maybe slightly older than Phi, with a mop of unkempt black hair, but he didn’t look in any way familiar to Phi. Huh. Phi had expected the revelation of K’s identity to be a great, meaningful, surprise, but he was just another random guy. It didn’t matter, anyway. Phi dulled her rising emotions. It didn’t matter.

Phi strode purposefully away from the bodies. She couldn’t bring herself to look at them anymore. She had to… she had to go, somewhere else, anywhere else. The treatment centre. Yeah, the treatment centre. That’s where she should go. She had to go and check on Quark.

As Phi approached the door out of the warehouse, she passed the graffiti. ‘Memento mori. If the nineth lion ate the sun.’ After reading again the first line – she didn’t want to ‘remember death’, damnit – her mind automatically replaced it with the solution of the anagram: ‘The man on the moon rules the infinite time.’ It was still as meaningless as before. More meaningless. Zero was mocking her failure: another meaningless unsolvable problem to add to all the other meaningless unsolvable problems the Nonary Game had hit them with.

“Zero!” Phi roared at the graffiti in lieu of its writer, hitting the wall angrily with the palm of her hand. It stung, but Phi didn’t care. “Fuck you, Zero! Get out here and talk to me, damnit!”

There wasn’t any response. Zero Sr. continued hiding.

 

Phi continued on to the treatment centre, to the room with the treatment pods. Quark was still alive. Dio was still dead. Still, Phi wasn’t alone. Quark was still alive. Phi checked the panel by Quark’s pod to see how his treatment was progressing. When it was done, Phi could remove Quark from the pod and wake him up.

But she couldn’t. According to the prognosis of the treatment pod, it could restrain Quark’s disease but never cure it. Quark would never be cured. Phi was still effectively alone. If Phi removed Quark from the treatment pod, he would die and Phi would be alone. If Phi left Quark behind in the treatment pod, then she would be alone.

No. She wasn’t alone yet. She still hadn’t found Tenmyouji or Clover. They could still be alive. Phi had to hope that they were still alive. They might not have been present to go through the white Chromatic Doors, but that didn’t mean they’d been penalised like Sigma and K had. There had to be plenty of ways they could have survived. Quark had had his bracelet removed somehow; who was to say Tenmyouji and Clover also hadn’t been released by their bracelets? Phi would go and search for them. She could still find them.

Phi left the treatment centre and entered the gaulem bay. That was the first place she had to search, the first place she had searched on this lower floor. On entering, Phi took a few moments to adjust to her surroundings. Even though the lines of gaulems along the walls – the ones that had shocked Dio so badly that he had lashed out, the ones that had played such an important role in the last step of the puzzle – had been retracted into the ceiling once the puzzle had been completed, now they were down again. Even though their eyes were no longer lit, Phi couldn’t help but feel they were staring at her, herding her from the room. Phi took the implicit command of the soulless automatons to heart and, since no-one else was there, fled.

Phi arrived in the elevator waiting room, at the intersection of the three primary coloured Chromatic Doors. She could head up the elevator, but she wouldn’t yet. She hadn’t searched the entire lower floor yet. Given the choice of going through the red or blue Chromatic Door, Phi chose red: she had gone through the rec room the last time they had searched the facility, and thought searching it again would be less useful. In any case, her eyes were still sensitive from the lingering effects of the Soporil Beta; she wasn’t prepared to subject herself to the bright lights of the rec room just yet.

At the end of the corridor behind the red Chromatic Door was a room labelled ‘Pantry’. Phi entered to find a dim room – her eyes were wearily grateful – filled with shelves, with a row of cabinets along the opposite wall and the right wall having row after row of airtight drawers set into it. Phi guessed that was where the pantry stored its food. By the other wall, to Phi’s left, was a trolley which appeared to contain all the equipment that the pantry needed. In particular, one drawer of the trolley radiated heat; it was clearly an oven used to cook the food.

Scattered across the top of the trolley were three small boxes of food, bulging slightly with the pressure of their contents. They looked like they had been abandoned by the players that had originally searched the pantry. Phi picked up the closest one and numbly examined it. The label across the top read ‘Chicken Paella’, and Phi opened up the sealed lid to find that the contents sloshing about inside had been thoroughly cooked. Just looking at the food made Phi’s stomach rumble with anxious hunger. Phi succumbed. She took a fork from the trolley and dug in.

Phi immediately regretted it. Her anguish caused the food to turn to ash in her mouth. After what she had seen, there was no way she could savour even the most flavourful of meals. Phi coughed miserably, then spat the offending morsel of chicken onto the floor. She shoved the remaining boxes of food aside and went past the trolley to search forlornly for Clover and Tenmyouji among the nooks and crannies amidst the cabinets. But they weren’t there.

The only ways out of the pantry doubled back towards the elevator, and so Phi – having confirmed that there was no sign of the missing players – returned to the elevator waiting room. There was only one room on the lower floor left to search. Phi stumbled through the blue Chromatic Door and headed towards the rec room. She entered, shielding her eyes from the light. Once her eyes had settled, she glanced around. Once again, no sign of Tenmyouji or Clover. With all the objects in the rec room being flush against the wall, there was no way Phi could miss them even with a cursory, slightly-blinded look. They weren’t there.

Phi left. She left through the entrance door. The exit door would only lead to… Phi didn’t want to go back… _there_ … again.

 

So, Clover and Tenmyouji were not on the lower floor. That had to mean Phi would find them on the upper floor. It had to. Phi returned to the elevator and let it slowly take her back to floor A.

The first door on the upper floor led to the lounge. When Phi went in, she found that this time the aftereffects of the Soporil Beta made the low lighting of the lounge even dimmer to her eyes. Even after several seconds, her eyes showed no inclination towards adjusting for the lower light. This was seriously going to hamper her search. There had to be something in the infirmary that would help her recover.

Phi left the lounge and gradually made her way over to the infirmary. On entering, she immediately turned right to rummage through the medications cabinet by the door. No luck. There was nothing like aspirin available; none of the medicine tubs there had labels that Phi in any way recognised. Phi’s Soporil induced headache would remain.

Giving up, Phi turned around to search the infirmary. The part she could see looked exactly the same as when she had last been there. The television screen was still off, the scanning attachment of the ADAM had been tidily stowed away, the body of the old woman – the first corpse of a painfully long series – was still lying undisturbed on the far infirmary bed.

Wait. Hadn’t the privacy curtain been around the old lady’s bed earlier? Yes, Phi distinctly remembered K moving the curtain there, during that time after the first Ambidex Game when all nine players had searched the upper floor for a way out. So how could Phi see the old lady from where she was standing? It was only then that Phi noticed that the entire curtain had been moved to the left. Curious, Phi peeked behind.

Clover and Tenmyouji. Dead. Phi had found them, but they were dead. Clover’s left arm had been handcuffed to Tenmyouji’s right, with the chain passing behind the drainage pipe of the sink. Rivulets of blood trickled down from the handcuff where they had tried desperately to free themselves. But they’d failed. They had died, just the way Sigma and K had died, just the way Phi herself had nearly died.

Phi threw up into the sink. No! It couldn’t be! Why had this happened? Why had Tenmyouji and Clover been restrained like this? Who had killed them? Phi couldn’t think at all through the shock.

She was alone. This confirmed it: she was truly alone inside this facility. And it was her fault. If she’d just searched harder, or just had some sort of inspiration, she could have found Tenmyouji and Clover here in time to save them. By the looks of it, they must have been here for ages, trying to escape, shouting out for help. They could have been found in time. But they hadn’t been. That was why they were dead.

 

Phi fled the infirmary towards the floor A warehouse. As Phi ran into the room where the nine players had all first met, she could almost see them as they had been, before the Nonary Game had killed them one by one. Sigma, making the first of many lewd jokes. Luna’s gentle smile. Tenmyouji paternally protecting Quark’s innocence from the horrors implied by the Nonary Game. Alice rushing frantically over to Clover as K carried her out of the first puzzle. Of the nine players who had started the game, only Phi was still moving.

“Zero!” Phi yelled. Of all the people Phi had talked to, only the infuriating artificial intelligence could still reply. Zero Jr. was Phi’s absolute last choice of conversation partner, but he was the only choice available. If she didn’t talk to someone soon, she’d go mad. Phi ran over to the screen which Zero had used to appear and shouted with all her power into the wall. “Zero! Answer me, already! You’ve won, alright! Just answer, damnit!”

The projectors lazily flickered on. Zero’s avatar materialised on the screen, lain down on a two-dimensional bed with cartoonish ‘Z’s floating up from the mouse’s head. Once the projectors had completely activated, Zero’s head left the pillow and turned to face Phi.

“Yaaaaaaaawn! Can you try not to be so loud, Phido? I’m trying to get some beauty sleep here. I mean, seriously. You don’t call me; I call you. ”

Phi scowled at the rodent. “Don’t screw with me, Zero. We both know you’ve been watching what’s been going on.”

The bed vanished and Zero resumed his usual mocking pose on the screen. “Yep, that’s right! Heeee, heeee, heee! Wasn’t it just amazing? Did you see the way everyone died? Oh, I guess you did. Anyway, it was so hilariously bunny that I nearly exploded laughing.”

Phi sighed. This was why talking to Zero Jr. was only slightly better than talking to no-one and going crazy. “I’m not going to let you provoke me,” she said, “All I want to know is what happens now.

“What happens now?” Zero giggled. “I guess nothing happens now. It’s not like you can play another Ambidex Game. You don’t have the keycard for it. Maybe if you ask me reeeeeally, reeeeally nicely, I could open up the white Chromatic Doors again for you so you can go and get them. Come on. I’m all ears.”

Zero paused for a couple of seconds and grinned at Phi expectantly, but she refused to humour him.

Eventually, Zero continued. “Heee, heee, heee. Actually, no I wouldn’t. Not even I can break the rules like that. I’d have to kill anyone who tried. I already have once, remember? That cockney thought he could get away with cheating, so I had to burrow him.”

Phi recalled how the gaulem G-OLM had been deactivated after it had unlocked the treatment centre. That had to be what Zero Jr. was referring to. Phi didn’t dwell on it, though. Compared to all the deaths that had happened after, what was one robot?

Instead she said, “Okay, the Nonary Game’s over. So you might as well tell me what’s going on. You’ve got nothing left to hide, right? So tell me, who’s Zero Sr.?”

“Zero Sr.’s dead, obviously.”

“What?!” Phi asked with surprise.

Zero Jr. chuckled. “I already told you my creator was one of you, didn’t I? And you know it wasn’t you, and everybunny else is dead, so… Wait, you didn’t think it was Quirk, did you?” After Phi shook her head, Zero continued, “So yeah, Zero Sr.’s dead. Not like it matters to me; I never got told to keep Zero Sr. alive, so I didn’t.”

Phi couldn’t quite believe that. She couldn’t believe Zero Sr. would set up the Nonary Game so that it was capable of killing him. “So who was Zero Sr.?” Phi asked bluntly.

“Not gonna tell you! Heee, heee! Tell you what, though. I’ll tell you some stuff you didn’t know, just ’cause I’m so reeeeally nice. You know, throw you a carrot.”

“Go on.”

Zero Jr. glanced around the warehouse disapprovingly and shrugged. “Nah. Don’t wanna do it in here. The… atmosphere isn’t right. Head over to the lounge. Maybe I’ll tell you there. Hee, hee!” As Zero’s laughter faded away, as though he was receding into the distance, the projectors went dark.

 

Phi sluggishly followed Zero’s command. If she was going to find out anything, she’d have to do what he said. Phi arrived in the lounge and immediately saw why Zero had brought her there. The false wall – the one that had thwarted her attempts to get through it earlier – was now wide open, presumably at Zero Jr.’s command. Phi entered. It was clear that the area behind the false wall was where the AI intended her to go.

The short corridor out of the lounge was shrouded by pitch-black shadows, the way forward only shown by a single shaft of light coming through the door at the other end of the corridor. Phi advanced into it.

As Phi entered the room Zero Jr. had led her to, she understood what the mouse had meant about atmosphere. The room was a properly equipped cinema with a gigantic screen and several rows of comfortable seats, where Zero could indulge his theatricality to his utmost. Swivelling spotlights targeted Phi the moment she crossed the threshold and guided her to a seat in the middle of the front row. Once Phi was seated, Zero appeared on the cinema screen.

“Drumroll, please!” Zero’s whining voice boomed at her – Phi forced herself not to wince – as the surround-sound speakers provided Zero with the drumroll he requested. Once the drums subsided, Zero continued, “And that concludes the Nonary Game: Ambidex Edition!! Victory goes to… Meeeeee!” On the screen, Zero gave himself a round of applause. “Now let’s look at the highlights of this amaaaazing game!”

Zero vanished from the screen, replaced by an image of cabin two of the crew quarters, but Zero’s voice continued to narrate. “Let’s start with the first death!”

On the screen Alice stumbled across the borders of the image and leaned against the far wall of the cabin. Alice was almost exactly where she had died; this must be footage from just before her murder.

“First to die was poor little Alas. I bet we all want to know who did her in. Well, we’re about… to find out!!”

On the screen Alice, looking very unsteady on her feet, tipped over to the left, but caught herself on the table that protruded from the wall and steadied herself. Now that Alice had turned around, Phi could see that she was holding something in her hand. It was a knife. The very knife that had killed her. Alice raised the knife in front of herself. Alice shuddered as the tip pierced her skin.

But that wasn’t the fatal blow. With the fingers on her left hand, Alice retrieved something from the wound. It could only be seen through Zero’s camera for a couple of seconds – just long enough for Phi to see it as a small silvery coin-like disc – before Alice slotted the object into the grating above the table.

With whatever she had intended completely done, Alice fell back against the far wall. Her eyes unfocused, she gazed down at the knife, still resting against the small cut it had opened. With one last breath, Alice drove the knife in.

Zero giggled. “That’s riiiiight! The first death was a suicide! And none of you losers managed to guess it! Ha, ha, ha!! But it’s even worse… no, more hilarious than that.”

The image on the screen kept moving as Alice, now dead, slumped down into the position where the other players had found her. Zero fast-forwarded until the next point where something happened. Luna entered the cabin, saw Alice’s corpse, and rushed over to her side. Luna checked Alice’s pulse, but it was already futile.

Then Clover entered behind Luna, malice in her eyes.

“Hee, heee, heeeeee!!” Zero giggled. As the scene on the screen played on, Zero narrated, “Yep, that’s right! Cleaver got it into her weenie little head that Moony was the one who murdered Alas, so Cleaver… well, she kinda over-reacted!”

As Clover advanced on Luna, injection gun full of turbocuarine in her hands, Phi averted her eyes from the screen. Luna’s death was much less graphic than Alice’s had been, and much less graphic than the scene of Tenmyouji’s and Clover’s murders, but it hit Phi all the same. It was so pointless. Luna had died as vengeance for Alice’s murder, but Alice hadn’t been murdered at all.

“Two down, seven to go!” Zero cheered, “Now, what’s next? Oh, that’s right: the second round of the Ambidex Game!” The scoreboard from that round flashed up on the cinema screen. “I was right on the edge of rabbit-hole for this bit; I thought someone was gonna hop on out of here. But noooo! You all decided to stay. I guess you all enjoyed my company that much!”

Knowing how the Nonary Game turned out, maybe it would have been better to let Clover escape during the Ambidex Game. Clover could have gone to get help, and everyone else who died would have survived inside the facility, free of the obligations imposed by the threat of Zero’s penalties.

Zero appeared on the screen next to the table of Ambidex Game results and smirked at Phi. “Yeah, I guess it _was_ your fault, Phido. All those little things you could have done differently… Oh well, too late now!”

Phi tuned out Zero’s spiel as he gleefully described the rest of the players’ deaths. Zero was using every other word to taunt and insult Phi, but he failed to provide any extra information. Instead, she focused on the images on the screen. Clover and Tenmyouji had been chained to the infirmary sink by Dio. Dio had been killed – and his bracelet smashed – by K: it took Phi several moments to recognise the young, black-haired man shown on the screen as K out of his suit. One by one, each mystery was solved, but seeing it only left Phi feeling dead inside. There wasn’t any context, just video after video of random pointless violence. Zero concluded by showing the deaths of Sigma and K. Phi didn’t need to watch; she’d already lived – and nearly died – through it.

Then the video ended and Zero reappeared on the screen. “That’s all, folks! That’s how Zero won the Nonary Game! That’s how Phido became the last player standing.”

 

“I should have guessed you weren’t going to tell me anything useful.” Phi sighed, and stood up to leave the cinema.

Zero wagged a finger at Phi. “No, no, no! You can’t leave just yet. Some friends of mine want to talk to you.”

Phi spun around. With all the lights in the cinema focused on either the screen or her, the back rows of seats were in complete darkness. That is, complete darkness except for the row of red specks of light that hovered at eye-level and shone brightly by contrast to the shadows around them.

Phi recognised those lights. Those were the eyes of gaulems.

The line of gaulems advanced, clambering over the seats in front of them. Phi backed away, her retreat blocked by the screen. Still the gaulems advanced. Once the line of gaulems reached the front of the cinema, the gaulem at the centre of the line stepped forward, as if it were a spokesman for the rest. Once it had separated from the rest of them, Phi noticed that this gaulem’s left eye wasn’t working; it had been shattered. It strode efficiently towards Phi and braced its cold arm across her shoulders, pinning her to the wall.

“’Ello, guv’nor,” the gaulem said, with its strong cockney accent.

“G-OLM?” Phi asked cautiously.

The gaulem leaned forward menacingly. “No. He’s dead, mate. Remember?” The gaulem increased it pressure on Phi until it started to hurt her. “He did a good turn for you and got burned for it. Course, that was right after that cocky blond mate of yours gave me this blinder of a headache.” The robot gestured towards its broken left eye. This must have been the robot that Dio punched. “So I ain’t feeling well disposed towards you biological types these days. I’m GTM-CM-B-514, GTM-CM-G-OLM’s brother. Since I know you ain’t the sort to remember a bloke’s real name, you might as well call me Barry.”

Phi tried to brace herself and get out, but she failed; a robot could be made much stronger than a flesh and blood human. She replied, “Okay, ‘Barry’. What the hell are you doing here?”

“Orders from the young master here.”

With its free arm, Barry gestured towards the screen, where Zero Jr. still stood surveying his squad of gaulems. If Barry had been a real person, Phi would have pointed out that if Barry was going to act so aggrieved by G-OLM’s deactivation, he shouldn’t obey orders from the AI that did the deactivation. But that would be wasted on a gaulem. Gaulems were just computers. Computers just followed orders.

Barry continued, “Young master Zero told us we had to clean up after his game. So that’s why we’re here.”

Before Phi could ask Barry to explain, the gaulem drew his arm back. Then, it punched down. As the gaulem’s metal fist collided with her head, Phi – the last conscious player of the Nonary Game – felt her mind evaporate.

 

**PHI - END**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Well done on reaching this route end! This is one of the endings that can be reached without passing through Plot Locks. It does, however, have plenty of Plot Keys, and therefore we've got quite a varied selection for where to restart:_  
_1) Phi's seen a video showing what Alice did before she committed suicide so we can restart after **Plot Lock 6: Lost and Found** (Chapter 17) and complete Alice's route._  
_2) We've also broken through **Plot Lock 7: Hide and Seek** so we can continue on from chapter 13._  
_3) Finally, we can return to the Cyan Door routes and betray Alice (Chapter 34)._

_Vote away, and I'll see you in two weeks time._


	47. ALICE END: Due to the Dead

_Here we break through **Plot Lock 6: Lost and Found** , using the videos of the deaths that Zero Jr. showed us in Phi's end last chapter to locate Alice's recovery beacon._

_Since it's been quite a while since we were last here, it might be worth reviewing some of the previous chapters to refresh your memory. Chapter 8 is where Phi, Luna and Dio go through the archives, finally becoming relevant in this chapter. There's also chapters 15 to 17, leading up to this plot lock._

* * *

As Phi surveyed cabin two of the crew quarters, the magnitude of the task she had set herself loomed over her. A strange but familiar feeling crept up on her. Her vision fading suddenly away around the edges, Phi realised exactly what this floating sensation reminded her of. This was just like when Phi had translated the Latin Journal for Clover. Phi could only hold her head steady as _the vision formed around her._

_Phi found herself still in cabin two, but her perspective had completely and disorientingly changed. If Phi had still had a body in this dream-like world, she would have swayed with dizziness from the sudden dislocation, but instead her viewpoint was fixed in placed, not even experiencing the minute trembles that every human body experienced from breathing and slight adjustment of muscles. It was as though she was a camera affixed to the wall._

_Why was Phi viewing this scene from the view point of one of Zero’s cameras? Phi concentrated, trying to understand. Her memories didn’t make any sense. They didn’t fit together properly. Her store of memories kept saying that she had been shown this footage by Zero Jr. himself, but that was impossible: Zero hadn’t spoken with any of the players since long before Alice died. Nevertheless, she remembered viewing this somewhere, sometime._

_When Phi finally reoriented herself, she saw that the cabin was empty. But that didn’t last. As Phi watched, Alice stumbled into view. From the glazed look in her eyes and jittering, conflicted movements as Alice fought against herself, the Radical-6 infection was nearly complete. This must have been moments before Alice died._

_Alice turned and leaned against the far wall of the cabin. Phi saw that she held a knife with a white-knuckled clench in her right hand. Even as Alice tipped over, her uncontrolled descent stopped only by the desk protruding from the cabin wall, she raised the knife towards her chest._

_Alice stabbed._

_But she didn’t stab all the way. The moment the tip pierced her skin, the knife stopped in place. With her other hand, Alice reached into the wound. Phi saw Alice draw out a small, coin-like disc, and though globules of Alice’s blood dripped from it there was far less than Phi expected. The disc looked very familiar to Phi, but try as she might, she couldn’t place where she recognised it from. As Alice continued to sway feebly, she raised the disc to her mouth and, with slow, careful enunciation, spoke into it._

_That disc was Alice’s beacon! Now that she recognised it for what it was, Phi remembered where she had seen it before. In the SOIS manual Phi had found in the archives, one of the sections had described how SOIS agents occasionally concealed items in cavities hidden under their skin. When Phi had read that section, she had focused on the possibility of hiding a weapon or some lockpicks there, rather than using such a compartment to store a transmission beacon – Phi worked alone, and the idea of doing something so drastic merely to send a message to an ally honestly hadn’t occurred to her – but the SOIS manual had included an image of the beacon that Alice was now preparing._

_Phi didn’t need to listen to what Alice was saying; she had heard it before. Eventually the small device ran out of memory – that was what had caused the sudden cut-off of Alice’s message – and Alice stopped speaking. She moved the disc away from her mouth; Phi could see that she was preparing to hide it. After quickly looking around, Alice’s eyes centred on the grating in the wall above the table. With a jerking flick of her wrist, Alice deposited her beacon through the slits and it tumbled away into the darkness behind._

_So that’s where it was. No wonder Phi hadn’t been able to find Alice’s beacon. No light at all made it into the space behind the grating, so even if Phi had examined it specifically, she couldn’t have possibly seen the beacon and would have moved on. But now Phi knew exactly where it was._

_Alice, having safely concealed the beacon, leaned back against the cabin wall. Phi knew what was coming, but with her perspective fixed she couldn’t avert her eyes. The vision forced her to watch as Alice gripped the knife and, with a strained expression, stabbed it all the way into her chest._

Phi gasped. Her vision cleared as she returned to the present. What the hell had just happened? Just as when Phi had translated the Latin Journal, a moment of crises had caused Phi’s brain to suddenly spurt out the information she required. Phi didn’t know how it was happening. This was supposed to be the real world, where discovering something new required finding confirming evidence: actual, real evidence.

Still, it had worked before, somehow. Phi had to at least try out the location revealed, in case it worked again. She examined the edges of the metal grating; there was a slight crevice between the grating and the wall behind it, but no obvious way to tease it open. Of course, there was always one quick solution to a problem like this. Force it.

“Sorry, Alice,” Phi muttered as she knelt down next to the corpse and carefully retrieved the knife. Though she reflexively took care not to disturb Alice’s body too much, Phi wasn’t too bothered about ‘desecrating’ it or anything like that. After all, Alice had consented to having her recovery beacon implanted in her body; she had cut it out again with this very knife. Alice could hardly complain.

Phi took the knife and forced it with precision right into the gap between the grating and the wall. From there, it was just a matter of simple leverage; the grating bent outwards as Phi twisted the blade and it fell to the floor with a clatter. Phi reached her arm into the recess behind. Though there still wasn’t enough light to see back there, Phi easily had enough room to sweep her arm around inside and she quickly found the beacon.

Now that she saw Alice’s beacon up close, Phi could appreciate all the fine details. This beacon really was an incredible piece of technology. Everything about it was perfectly designed to pack as much complexity in as tiny a space as possible. Where Phi’s fingertips touched the disc, she could feel the intricate ridges and valleys of micro-circuitry running across the surface. Naturally, an organisation as clandestine and well-funded as SOIS used only the best equipment.

Phi flipped the beacon over and inspected the other side. Three fiddly buttons protruded from the surface: by their shape, Phi guessed that the first button was used to record a short message, the second played the message back and the third changed the track that recordings were being made to and played from. Clover had mentioned that the beacon probably contained more information than had been transmitted; perhaps that information lay on one of the other tracks.

Phi pressed play. “SOIS agent 1295029 reporting. Someone’s started another Nonary Game…” It was exactly what Phi had heard before, though the tinny speakers – the only ones small enough to fit in such a tiny device – distorted the voice so that it sounded nothing like Alice’s.

Phi switched to the next track and pressed play again. This second recording contained only a few seconds of heavy coughing, Alice’s infection overriding any attempt to add more information to the beacon. For a moment, Phi was sure she could hear Alice trying desperately to wheeze a word or two past the coughing fit, but then the recording cut out. There was nothing of use to Phi on the second recording, however hard Alice had tried.

Then Phi started the third recording. And this one was interesting.

“Investigation of the Myrmidon,” Alice’s voice stated, before getting right to the point, “Here’s everything I wasn’t able to include in the main transmission. I found a combat knife. Had their name and symbol on it.” Alice’s intonation became staccato as she tried to force out as much information in as little time as possible; she sounded desperately short of breath. “Likely murder weapon. I found it behind one of the AB Rooms. That’s how I know one of the Myrmidons is here. There were some other items back there as well, but I couldn’t get to them. I could just reach the knife… the knife… no… mustn’t think about the knife. Mustn’t think about stabbing myself with the knife. Don’t have long left. I’m… sorry… I can’t carry on.” The recording cut off. Phi shuddered; she was guiltily glad that she didn’t have to listen to Alice’s mind break down any further.

A knife with the name of the Myrmidons on it: why did that sound so familiar to Phi? Of course, it was obvious which knife Alice was talking about. Phi took the blade from where she had left it after using it to pry open the grating. Its surface was still covered with blood, but when Phi wiped it away she saw what she expected to see: ‘Myrmidons’ engraved finely into the flat of the blade.

This knife had taken two lives at least; the sharp slicing edge gleamed wickedly at Phi as the weight of this realisation struck her. Despite the damage Phi had done to it using it as a mere lever, the blade remained a lethal and vicious weapon.

Now that she had the knife in front of her, she recalled exactly where she recognised it from. The golden file from inside the security room safe had included a description and photo of this very knife, down to the exact font of the inscription. And now she was looking at that Myrmidon’s knife, right in front of her.

Zero Sr. had to have placed that file in the safe before the Nonary Game even started. Could he have known that the Myrmidon’s knife and its owner would be here? Probably. After all, Zero had selected all the participants of his warped game, kidnapped them to force them to take part. The fact that Zero had selected both a SOIS agent with a particular grudge against the Myrmidons alongside a Myrmidon was interesting, none-the-less. Zero Sr. had intended this.

Phi tried to collate everything she had learned about the Myrmidons, both from listening to Clover’s explanation and from Alice’s final messages, as well as from the scant details included in the gold files description of the Myrmidon’s knife. The Myrmidon in the Nonary Game had used that knife to murder the old lady. That was hardly without precedence: the Myrmidons had already kidnapped and murdered Alice’s father, and much more besides. Phi could see why Clover was so insistent that Phi complete the investigation. If the Myrmidon was still trapped in the facility with the other players, who knew what they might attempt?

The remaining record tracks of the recovery beacon were blank. Phi had morbidly expected that: Alice had been in no state at the end of the third track to start another. It was time for Phi to move on. She slipped Alice’s recovery beacon into her pocket to keep it safe. After a conflicted moment’s thought, she took the knife with her as well. It wasn’t just evidence: it was also a way for Phi to defend herself.

 

Phi left cabin two and cautiously made her way through the crew quarters. None of the other players were there; Phi remained alone. With nothing there to impede her progress, Phi quickly left the crew quarters and emerged through the cyan door.

The warehouse was now empty. The Number Nine Door – previously the centrepiece of the entire Nonary Game – was now nothing more than an immobile lump of metal, no different from any other wall. The screen was dimmed and dormant: no more scores would need to be displayed. And finally, never again would the players have reason to enter the Ambidex Rooms stacked along the wall. No wonder all the other players had vacated the warehouse.

But Phi had a reason to be there. At the other end of the line of AB Rooms was the place where Alice had found that heinous knife. If Phi’s investigation was to continue, that was where she needed to start. Knife in hand, Phi stalked her way along the line of AB Rooms, searching intently for any clues that Alice might have missed. But there was nothing unexpected. Anything exposed to the wide open space in the warehouse would have been noticed long before now. Phi continued past. She arrived at the end of the line and slipped around the corner, staring straight at the place where any clues to the Myrmidon’s identity would lay.

Dio. Dio knelt next to the crevice behind the AB Room, his right arm groping furiously for something hidden there, his red longcoat dragging dishevelledly on the floor behind him. As Phi watched, Dio withdrew his arm, a glass cylinder cradled in his palm. As the capsule emerged from the shadows, Phi saw what was inside: a piercingly bright speck of light, suspended perfectly in the centre of the cylinder. There was only one possible thing that could look as unworldly as that.

That speck was antimatter. That was an antimatter bomb.

That confirmed it: there was only one person who would possess an antimatter bomb. Dio was the Myrmidon. No wonder he had been so shocked and desperate when Alice’s final message had played in the security room: he had plenty to hide, and every reason to fear his secrets getting out. He was the one who had murdered the old lady. He was indirectly responsible for Alice’s death; it was his knife that allowed Alice to commit suicide so abruptly. And now he was preparing an antimatter bomb; he pressed a button on the surface of the cylinder and lights on the bomb flashed, indicating that the bomb was armed. He was preparing to blow everyone up.

Phi charged forward desperately. If Dio finished preparing his bomb, it was all over. Luckily Phi didn’t have very far to run. She skidded to a halt right behind Dio and wrapped her arm, knife in hand, around Dio’s neck. “Stop,” she commanded.

Dio grunted. He froze as the familiar blade touched his throat. “Heh. What’s up, Phi?” he said insincerely. Dio glanced down the knife, his head moving almost imperceptibly. “Hey, this joke ain’t very funny, you know.”

“No joke, Dio. Put the bomb down.”

Dio reluctantly did so. The bomb settled on the floor, and did not explode.

“Good.” Phi kept giving blunt commands; she had to stay in control of the situation. “Now back away. Slowly. No, don’t get up; stay on your knees.”

Following Phi’s instructions, Dio shuffled backwards. Phi stepped back as well, keeping the same position relative to Dio.

As Phi’s legs came back together, Dio moved. He leapt to his feet suddenly; Phi, off balance, fell backwards to the floor. The knife cut a thin wound as it slipped back with her, but it wasn’t deep enough. Dio ignored it. He steadily turned around to stand over Phi, a victorious smirk emerging on his mouth. Obviously savouring his triumph, he reached into a coat pocket and drew out a square box with a vividly red button dominating the centre of it. It was a detonator for the bomb.

Adrenaline took over. Phi kicked out, catching Dio’s ankle. Dio yelped satisfyingly. With the shock of the sudden pain, Dio let go of the remote. It clattered safely to the floor. Phi let out her held breath in a strong sigh of relief.

As Dio stumbled back another item fell from his coat pocket. It was a golden file: the gold file Dio had stolen from the archive’s safe. As it fell, it fluttered open, papers flying in every direction down towards Phi. They were moving so quickly that Phi could only see the pictures printed on each sheet, but that was enough for her to get the gist: one photo showed an antimatter bomb just like the one Dio had tried to activate, another showed the detonator that Dio had dropped. A third picture – unfamiliar, but clearly related to the other pictures about the bomb – showed a device like a small computer tablet with a relatively large keyboard and long cable coming out of the top, like it was used for inputting something. No wonder Dio had tried to keep this gold file unread.

Through the cloud of falling papers that cluttered her vision, Phi saw Dio’s boot raised over her head. She hadn’t seen him recover, hadn’t been able to prepare, because of her obstructed vision. Dio’s right heel stamped viciously down towards her face.

But the obstructed vision worked both ways. Dio couldn’t see Phi any more than Phi could see Dio: only a vague outline. Phi instinctively regained her grip on the knife. She thrust upwards. The tip of the knife pierced Dio’s foot.

Dio fell over, clutching his wounded right foot, and slumped against the wall of the AB Room. As Phi righted herself, her breathing ragged, Dio glared at her. “Fuck!” he swore from the pain. Gritting his teeth, Dio snarled, “So you’re gonna ask why I’m doing this? Why I’m blowing up this shithole?” Dio’s voice took on a whiny falsetto as he said, “‘Oh Dio! How could you possibly do such a horrible, horrible thing? People might die!’”

“Don’t bother. I already know.” Phi took a deep breath, then added a final word like a judge’s gavel. “Myrmidon.” Phi ignored the surprise in Dio’s eyes as he recognised his organisation’s name. She wasn’t going to take any more risks. Dio had already turned the tables on her once. He looked beaten, but the Myrmidons had proven themselves far too dangerous to underestimate. If Phi gave Dio an inch of room, he would do to her what the Myrmidons had done to Alice’s father, the old lady, and many others besides. Phi steadied herself, crouched down in front of Dio and spun the handle of the Myrmidon’s knife around in her hand so that the blade was pointed straight at Dio’s neck.

“This is for Alice.”

Phi drove the knife in.

 

**ALICE - END**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Congratulations on reaching Alice's ending! I mentioned earlier what my inspiration for the entire Alice route was, but I should also mention these final events of the route. In VLR, this is the only route where Dio neither escapes or is exposed. As such, he should be scrambling to set up the bombs that are his failsafe in the event that he doesn't win. Since VLR's Tenmyouji route doesn't deal with this, Empty Virtue's Alice route had to tie the loose end. Plus, we got a Plot Key out of it, though you'll have to wait until later to see what the significance of it is._

_Since we've hit another route ending, we have a similar choice as last chapter:_  
_1) We've broken through **Plot Lock 7: Hide and Seek** so we can continue on from chapter 13._  
_2) We can also return to the Cyan Door routes and betray Alice (Chapter 34)._

_See you in two week's time!_


	48. Putting Names to Faceplates

_After a rather... emphatic... vote in the comments, we're breaking through **Plot Lock 7: Hide and Seek.** Phi needs some - any! - advantage over Dio if she's to have any chance of stopping his blackmail of Sigma and recovering the Axelavir, and something she found in chapter 46 may be just what she needs. _

* * *

“Let’s head back to the infirmary, see Quark,” Phi said resignedly to Sigma.

Phi couldn’t see any other options. She couldn’t see any options at all: just waiting passively for Dio to destroy the Axelavir wasn’t an option at all. But despite all her desperation, there wasn’t anything she could actually do: Dio’s scheme was watertight.

Wearily, Phi took a step forward towards the yellow door. Then another one. And then, _she stumbled into a dream._

_Phi found herself in the lounge, only a step after she had been walking through the spacious warehouse. She swept her eyes across the lounge, trying to regain her bearings. The lounge was dark: darker than Phi remembered it being._

_A voice – it was too garbled to make out the words, but Phi could hear Zero Jr.’s mocking, hateful tone – beckoned Phi from behind the wall beside the bar. Phi stepped cautiously towards it. As she approached, the wall opened up before her: a secret door! Phi strode forwards into the space behind, a spear of bright white light guiding her way._

_But before she could explore the concealed area, Phi_ fell back into the warehouse.

Sigma was already stood by the yellow Chromatic Door, staring quizzically at her. “Hey, weren’t you coming to the infirmary with me?!” he called out to her.

Phi couldn’t focus on what he was saying. She was concentrating on the strange vision she had just experienced. It had been… completely unreal. And yet Phi couldn’t stop herself from believing it. There was a secret area behind the lounge. It wasn’t on any of the maps, but it was there. And that meant Phi knew something that Dio didn’t know.

Phi knew something Dio didn’t!

Dio had planned to keep track of the other players in the rooms he knew about, but he didn’t stand a chance of keeping track of anyone hiding in the secret areas that he had no knowledge of. That meant Phi had a way to beat him. The other players could co-ordinate against Dio where Dio couldn’t stop them, and come up with a plan to get the Axelavir off him. The only thing Phi had to do was make sure that they could get through the secret door to the safety beyond.

Phi looked up to where Sigma was still looking at her expectantly. His nerves appeared frayed. He certainly wasn’t the right person to tell about Phi’s plan. One mistake, just one moment of badly controlled emotions, and he’d let everything slip to Dio: they would lose their chance to stop him. Better to keep Sigma in the dark.

“Changed my mind!” Phi belatedly replied, “You can tell me about Quark later!”

With that, Phi tore away from Sigma as quickly as her legs would carry her. She strode through the magenta door and swiftly turned the corner towards the lounge.

Wham! Phi collided straight into Dio.

Phi let the rebound carry her a good few metres away from Dio and glared at him warily. She had to keep him from realising that she was aware of his blackmail attempt, or her entire plan would fail instantly. Keeping her expression under control as much as her practice would let her, Phi stepped aside, letting Dio through.

Dio’s eyes swept over Phi inquisitively. For one heart-pounding moment, Phi thought he had seen right through her.

Then Dio looked away, snorting. “Watch where you’re going,” he spat at her. He stepped past Phi straight down the middle of the corridor, not caring in the slightest about intruding into her personal space. As Phi watched Dio march away towards the warehouse, she let out a soft – so Dio wouldn’t overhear – sigh of relief. She’d successfully kept her secret.

 

Phi arrived in the lounge to find it empty. She stared at the wall in question, positioning herself so that she was standing in the exact spot where her vision had started. Dio had just left: Phi knew that she had at least a couple of minutes to get to the bottom of this before he returned. She had to find the secret door before that happened.

Phi took a step towards the door, just has she had in the dream. This time, the door didn’t open up automatically as she approached. Phi didn’t let that faze her. There had to be some secret to getting it open. Phi walked all the way up the wall and rapped her knuckle against it. The metal rewarded her with a pure pealing tone: the wall had empty space on the other side, just as she had expected. Phi worked her way to the right, tapping constantly in order to work out the shape of the space occupied by the door.

And then, just as Phi though she would have to step behind the bar, her right hand slipped uncontrollably forwards as she pressed it against the wall. There was a sudden click as a concealed panel dropped down, and then the entire panel gave way under Phi’s pressure. Once Phi had quelled her alarm, she inspected the panel she had discovered. It had flipped over, revealing a keypad on the other side. This had to be the way to unlock the secret door.

The only problem was that Phi didn’t know the code.

She tried the first thing that came to mind, hoping that knowledge of the password would just suddenly come to her, the way that her knowledge of the door itself had. It failed. She tried again. It also failed.

Goddamnit! If she couldn’t open the secret door, then her entire plan was in ruins. The entire point was to get somewhere where Dio couldn’t eavesdrop: if she couldn’t do that then she might as well not have bothered. She had to try one more time. Phi raised her figure over the number pad, ready for one last desperate attempt.

A hand dropped roughly onto Phi’s shoulder.

Phi froze. There was someone behind her, someone she hadn’t noticed at all in her preoccupation. If it was Dio… If Dio had caught her in the act, then it was all over.

“Ah, Phi.” It was K. “What is this? What are you trying to do?”

Phi turned around, focusing her will on steadying her nerves. When she had her breath back, she started to answer K’s questions. “Well, there’s this secret door…”

“Wait,” K interrupted her, “Where’s Dio?” He glanced around the lounge warily, then at the far door. “We came back from the archives together, but he dashed off so quickly that I lost him.”

Phi didn’t miss the implications of K’s question. “He just left.”

“Good.” It was clear from his response that K understood the situation as well as Phi had. Good. Phi decided to bring K up to speed: he would be her first ally against Dio.

“There’s a secret door in this wall. If we can get through it, then Dio won’t be able to keep track of us.”

“An excellent idea,” K replied. He examined the panel and keypad Phi had found. “Hmm… I don’t suppose you know the passcode for this?”

“No,” Phi admitted, “Do you?”

“I’m afraid not. All the passwords I’ve seen so far have been part of the puzzles. Perhaps…?” K placed his hand against his helmet as if deep in thought. “No. Something came to mind, but it was a word, not a number. I am sorry to say that I am unable to… Agh!”

K staggered backwards as if he had been hit with a sledgehammer. He clutched his gauntlets against his head; the helmet shook vigorously from the fury of whatever was going on in K’s mind. Phi had no idea what was going on; even if she had there was no way she could help him through his suit of armour. Fortunately, K’s shivering subsided soon after.

“K…” Phi whispered, “The hell was that?”

“I… I remember… I remember this.” K stood up and placed his hand over the keypad. He tapped out a code: quickly, instinctively. The light above the panel went green.

There was a faint whir of gears. The metal bulkheads that covered the wall swept smoothly apart. The secret door was open.

“How the hell did you do that?” Phi asked.

K didn’t respond at first. He turned his hand over and stared at his palm, gingerly wiggling the fingers as if moving them for the first time. “I… am not entirely sure. I am, ah, hoping that this means my memories are returning. I… Have I been here before? Have I? I may have.” K turned to Phi, recognising her for the first time since he had entered the code. “Phi. I have a request to make of you. I hope it is not too much of an imposition.”

“Fine,” Phi said, “As long as it doesn’t take too long. We still need to deal with Dio.”

“Thank you. I am very close to recovering my memories entirely. I am sure of it. Anything you can find or do to accelerate their return would be greatly appreciated.”

“Well, they started to come back because you were opening that door, right?” Phi pointed through the opening and into the dark area beyond. “If we go in, there will probably be more stuff that will jog your memory.”

“Yes. I suspect you are right.” K replied, “Shall we?”

They stepped through the opening. On the other side of the doorframe, opposite the number pad, Phi saw a small button. She pressed it. As she released, the door closed once more, the separate panels meeting together in the middle perfectly. It was as though Phi and K had never been in the lounge at all.

 

It took Phi’s eyes a while to adjust to the dim light, but she soon perceived that they had entered a short corridor with four doors leading off it. Each had a holographic plaque, making it easy to see what they were used for. The two doors to Phi’s left were toilets, though they were marked with the astrological symbols for Mars and Venus rather than the otherwise universal human figures. Straight on at the far end of the corridor was the cinema. And to Phi’s right…

Phi turned right to see K staring at the remaining door. She couldn’t get a good look at the holographic plaque because he was in the way. “K, what is that room?” Phi asked.

K didn’t appear to have heard Phi’s question. He continued staring at the door. “Kyle,” he murmured. K stumbled to one side and leaned limply against the wall, so that Phi could see the plaque from the first time. Trying to hold himself upright, K whispered, “My name is Kyle.”

The plaque read, ‘Kyle’s room’.

Phi examined the door that had triggered Kyle’s memory. It also had a number pad, just like the secret door. Kyle raised his hand to it hesitantly, his movement slow and trembling as he recovered from the shock of his amnesia shattering. He carefully tapped in a number: ‘02072051’. The door to Kyle’s room opened and he stepped inside. Phi followed.

As Kyle reached the centre of the room the lights automatically turned on: a maternal pink-tinted glow that contrasted heavily with the deep darkness in the corridor outside. Phi looked around the small but comfortable room.

The area to the right of the door was filled by a large bed. Phi placed her hand on it; she noticed that the mattress was much softer than ones she had felt before. Atop the pillows and leaning against the wall was a stuffed animal, carefully embroidered with the same decorations as Zero Jr., though without the rodent’s habitual mocking grin.

At the far end of the room were two wardrobes, both open. The one on the right was ordinary, containing a row of plain, utilitarian white shirts and grey trousers. But the one on the left was much different. It was much larger and there were no shelves or hanger rails at all, just a mannequin that was slightly more bulky than a human being with its arms and legs outstretched, Vitruvian-style. Looking at it, Phi guessed immediately what it was for. It would be where Kyle would store his armour, if he ever got it off. Between the two wardrobes was an indentation where some sort of cylindrical tool could be stored, though it was currently absent. Without seeing it, Phi had no idea what it could be used for.

The final thing in the room was a small desk, tucked into the corner to the left of the entrance. Sat on top of it was a laptop: a very up-to-date model already worn from heavy usage. It had turned on with the lights and now displayed the faint, incomprehensible text of a command-line interface. Beside the laptop was a photo frame. The centre of the photo showed a lean black-haired man that Phi didn’t recognise. But to one side of him was a face that Phi did recognise. It was that of the old lady who had been murdered and whose body had been dumped in an AB room at the start of the Nonary Game. Compared to her lifeless corpse, in the photo she looked not just healthy but vibrantly alive, with mysterious passion burning behind her eyes. Phi wasn’t able to learn anything else from the photo; the entire right hand side of it had been ripped away.

Phi held the photo frame up to bring it to Kyle’s attention then asked, “Is this you?”

Kyle took it from her and held it tensely between his gauntlets, gazing at the picture intensely. “Yes. That… is indeed my face. It feels strange to see myself again after not recognising myself for so long.” Then Kyle’s helmet dropped forwards glumly. He stroked his finger against the face of the old lady. “Oh, my. Oh, my. Oh.”

Kyle looked like he was being overwhelmed by emotions. If Phi had to guess, Kyle was experiencing the old lady’s death all over again with a new context for his grief. “Who is she?” That was the question.

“She is… was… my mother.” Kyle took a moment to steady his nerves, then sank down onto the bed. “We lived here together, in this facility. I didn’t know that she would die here as well. I can’t quite believe that it has turned out this way. I feel that I should tell you more about her. Her name is Akane Kurashiki. I suppose you could say that she is not my real mother – not my birth mother – but she is my mother none the less. She was a…”

“Wait,” Phi interrupted. “You lived here together? Kyle,” she said, venomously emphasising his name, “You have some questions to answer.”

“Oh,” K replied. “I guess that from your point of view, there is much to concern you here. However, is there any chance we can delay this? I have much to think about as well.”

“No,” Phi replied instantly, “We need to deal with this now. There are only fifteen minutes until the next Ambidex Game finishes. So Kyle, what connection do you have to the Nonary Game? Explain. It isn’t a coincidence that it happened where you lived.”

K sighed heavily. “I have no idea why Zero Sr. chose to set it here. I can only imagine that, after picking my mother and me as participants, he invaded this facility in order to kidnap us. Having done so, he decided that this was the perfect place for the Nonary Game. Clearly, this facility was not designed solely for the Nonary Game. The rooms we have visited are proof of that: do you really think a room such as the recreation room that you visited was built for any purpose other than recreation? It is the place where I had some of my fondest childhood memories, not the brainchild of an insane kidnapper.

“Besides, if you are considering whether or not I might be Zero Sr., consider this. I lost my memories during this game; my mother died. We did not benefit from this. We are as much victims here as you are: no, ah, more.”

Kyle’s argument was persuasive. Phi was convinced that he had truly suffered from amnesia: his reaction as his memories returned was too genuine, too vulnerable, for it to have been an act.

Besides, the situation was far too urgent to let Phi hesitate. She had found this room with the hope that they would be able to bring together a plan to stop Dio’s blackmail of Sigma. Now they only had ten minutes to do so.

“Kyle, we need to stop Dio,” Phi stated.

“Ah?” Kyle seemed distracted.

Phi explained the situation once more, right from the very beginning when they had noticed Sigma’s fear of Dio, to make sure she had Kyle’s full attention. “We need to get Dio the moment he steps out of his AB Room. It’s the only time we’ll be able to ambush him. If you are able to restrain him for just a couple of seconds, I’ll be able to get the Axelavir off him before he can break it. Sound good?”

“That sounds like a reasonable plan,” Kyle replied.

“So, we’ll both need to stay out of the AB Rooms this round,” Phi continued, “We’ll need to be in position when the Ambidex Game finishes.”

“Yes, you are right,” Kyle said neutrally.

Phi turned to leave. To her surprise, Kyle didn’t stand up to follow her. “You coming?” she asked him.

Kyle turned his head away from Phi. “May I have a few moments? There is still much I need to think about. Do not worry: I will go back to the warehouse shortly.”

Phi had to trust Kyle to keep his word. She continued walking out through the door.

Kyle shouted one last thing after her as she left. “Phi. It may be a good idea not to tell Sigma of our plan. His nerves are rather frail, and Dio will be paying attention to him the moment he leaves his AB Room. If Sigma knows about our plan, Dio may notice something from his expression and be alerted. Therefore, it is best if Sigma does not know.”

 

Phi returned to the warehouse, having made sure that when she passed through the secret door and back into the lounge that Dio wasn’t there to catch her. When she arrived, the warehouse was empty; she had nothing to do but wait.

About three minutes later, Alice and Clover returned. Shortly after that, Kyle returned as well, shuffling through the magenta door and rubbing his gauntlets together awkwardly. Finally, Sigma entered through the yellow, gazing stoically around the warehouse.

“Where are Tenmyouji and Luna?” Phi asked Sigma.

“They stayed in the infirmary to look after Quark,” Sigma answered. Then Sigma asked, “Hey, where’s Dio?!”

Alice pointed to the far end of the row of Ambidex Gates. “Take a look at the doors,” she instructed, “Dio opened the one at the end to start the countdown. But now it’s closed. And that would mean that…?”

“That he went in?” Sigma guessed.

“Exactly,” Alice said.

Sigma growled under his breath, but didn’t mention Dio anymore. Instead, he asked, “So what are you guys planning on voting?”

“‘Ally’, of course,” Alice replied instantly, “Tenmyouji isn’t here, so…”

Kyle concluded Alice’s sentence for her. “He will automatically vote ‘Ally’. Since my BP is on six, you are worried about me escaping if we vote ‘Betray’. That is your reasoning, I assume?”

“Yes, exactly. As long as Tenmyouji votes ‘Ally’, I can’t choose ‘Betray’.”

Kyle chuckled, though his voice sounding somewhat stilted. “So, we are agreed. Shall we go in then.” Kyle took several purposeful steps towards the AB Gates.

Wait. Why wasn’t Kyle sticking with the plan? The entire point was that they would wait outside the AB Rooms in order to ambush Dio. If Kyle was inside one of the rooms, the plan fell apart. Phi had to do something, anything, to get everything back on track.

“You don’t need to go in there,” Phi commanded desperately.

“Excuse me?” Kyle asked. There was no indication from him that he cared at all about anything they had discussed behind the secret door. It was like that entire conversation had been ripped out of time, so that only Phi remembered it.

“Alice can vote by herself,” Phi said bitterly, “If you go in there with her, then you have the opportunity to force her to vote ‘Betray’.”

“Ha, ha, ha. You needn’t worry. I would never do something so crass.”

Phi ignored Kyle’s response and continued. “If you _stay out here_ ,” she stated, hoping that Kyle would react to her pointed implication, “then we don’t have anything to worry about. Right?”

Kyle stuttered, “W-well… I apologise, but I’m afraid I can’t agree to that.”

Goddamnit! What the hell was he doing?! Why was he being so obstinate?

Despite all Phi’s desperation, there was nothing that she could do to stop Kyle. He stepped purposefully up to the Ambidex Gate, took a keycard from inside his cape and swiped it. When the door opened, he stepped across the threshold and glanced back at the other players.

“Shall we go, Alice?”

Alice joined Kyle inside the Ambidex Room. The door closed behind them. They were as good as gone.

Everything Phi had tried had been for nothing.

“I hope Alice will be alright,” Clover said glumly.

“There’s nothing we can do,” Phi muttered, “If K told the truth, she’ll be fine.”

“Okay…” Clover mumbled. She turned to gaze at Sigma. “Sigma… I think we should go in as well.”

Sigma nodded then passed a keycard to Clover. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go.”

Clover opened up a third Ambidex Gate and both of them stepped hesitantly inside. Soon Phi was the only one left in the warehouse.

Phi was the only one left who could try to stop Dio. She knew she didn’t have much chance to succeed: Dio was much larger than Phi was, which meant it would be nearly impossible for her to beat him in a fight, especially since she didn’t just have to beat him but do so before he destroyed the Axelavir. But she had to try.

 

To enter the Ambidex Room would be to give up. And Phi couldn’t give up.

 

**Choice:**  
**A) Don’t Give Up!**  
**B) Give up.**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Well, now we know whose route this is. It's probably a little late for me to point it out but one trick i used several times while planning the routes was that, if several people left through the Number Nine Door and some of them were important to the VLR route, then I would ensure that the rest as the culmination of Empty Virtue's route. It helped mitigate some of the "And now this person's going to leave to cause a bad ending if you make the wrong choice" feelings._


	49. Whoops! 4: Pyrrhic Victory

_Whoa, that was a close vote._

* * *

Phi had to try. Even alone, she was going to do everything she could to get the Axelavir off Dio and save Quark. She didn’t have half the chance she had before, when she had believed that Kyle was going to help her, but it was still her only opportunity and that meant she had to take it.

Phi crouched down next to the Ambidex Room that Dio had entered, just far enough around the corner that she would be out of sight when Dio emerged. Her body went still, but her mind raced. She visualised the steps she would have to take when the time came. First, quickly cross the distance to Dio. His attention would be directed towards Sigma, but Phi would only have moments before he realised something was up. Then, close within his reach and take the Axelavir. It had to be somewhere within the pockets of his longcoat. Finally, escape before Dio could retaliate. Phi couldn’t give him the chance to break the vial.

With her intentions settled and resolve sound, Phi waited.

“Round two of the Ambidex Game has been completed. Results will be displayed in the warehouse.”

That announcement signalled to Phi that the time to act had come. Her body tensed up. Before Phi, a wave of people stepped out of their AB Gates. Dio was closest. Phi let him take one more step so that she had a clear path, then charged.

As Phi’s first step hit the ground, Dio reacted. He turned towards Phi, his arm swinging out in a wild punch. Phi had to keep going; she ducked under Dio’s fist and reached out her arm. Dio’s coat had billowed out with his motion and Phi slipped her hand inside. She delved into the first pocket she found.

Phi’s fingers touched glass.

Dio’s left fist slammed into the side of Phi’s head.

When Phi regained consciousness, she felt like she had been out for hours, but it had been only a couple of seconds: she was still sliding across the floor from the force of Dio’s punch and could still hear him shouting.

“Get off of me!” Dio roared. He advanced towards Phi, fury in his eyes.

Phi had to get up. Dio was certainly the sort to kick her while she was down. Phi steadied herself and placed her arms ready to lift herself up.

There was a clink as Phi’s right arm descended to the floor. Phi looked at her right hand. In it was a vial. The label read ‘Axelavir’.

Phi had done it.

Phi scrambled to her feet and held the vial high in the air so that the other players could see it. There were gasps around the room as the other players recognised the medicine. There was no way Dio could attempt to take it back now.

Dio backed away, flailing his arms wildly, until he collided against the Number Nine Door. “Hey! It’s not what it looks like,” he whined unconvincingly, “I was gonna give it to Quark eventually! The only reason I didn’t was…” Dio paused, his face scrunched up as he fabricated an excuse. “Umm… It was… It was… It was in the Ambidex Room. That’s it! I only just found it while I was voting, and I couldn’t get out and show you it because the door was locked! I’m not to blame here!”

Kyle already knew the truth; he took a step closer to Dio, coming side-by-side with Phi. Phi was surprised that Alice wasn’t with him. Phi was also surprised to notice that Clover and Sigma hadn’t come closer; they were still all the way over on the other side of the warehouse, having barely stepped out of their AB Room. Clover’s arm was around Sigma’s waist, supporting him as he gazed at the Axelavir in Phi’s hand. He didn’t look anywhere near as relieved as Phi expected him to.

Phi was distracted from Sigma when Kyle started speaking. “Well done, Phi. I was not able to help you, but you succeeded anyway. But… Ah, Phi, I am so sorry…”

Kyle trailed off, and his head turned to look at the results screen. Phi couldn’t help but do the same. Just then, the results screen activated.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

K                                     6                           Betray                        +3                          9  
Alice                                1                                                            +3                          4

Tenmyouji                       6                             Ally                          -2                          4

 

Sigma                              1                             Ally                          -2                         -1  
Clover                              6                                                            -2                           4

Dio                                  6                           Betray                        +3                          9

 

Phi                                   1                          Default                   Penalised              Penalised  
Luna                                1                                                         Penalised             Penalised

Quark                             6                            Default                  Penalised              Penalised

 

‘Default’? ‘Penalised’?! What was happening? Why the hell was this happening? They hadn’t broken any rules, had they? Why had they been penalised?!

Phi yelped as the needles in her bracelet pierced her skin. The Soporil inside spread into her bloodstream. Phi felt all her muscles relax out of her control. She tried to keep her hands steady as long as possible, but eventually even they succumbed.

The Axelavir fell from her grip. The vial tumbled towards the floor. It hit, and shattered.

To Phi’s right, Clover collapsed under Sigma’s weight as he fell. Sigma’s eyes met Phi’s; all his will to carry on had left him.  Phi fell backwards as well. Kyle caught her and laid her gently on the floor, barely able to look at her face.

“I’m sorry,” Kyle said, his voice a dull miserable monotone, “I didn’t realise until the last moment what your plan meant, that your brave attempt to stop Dio would result in this. I was… fixated… on something else. I hope that next time, you’ll forgive me.”

“‘Next time’?” Phi said, her voice thin and raspy, “The hell do you mean?”

“I can’t explain. There’s no time, and I need to…” Kyle looked up. His body tensed up with shock.

Phi looked past Kyle and saw the Number Nine Door. It was open, with Dio on the other side. The Number Nine Door was closing: already half shut.

Kyle leaped up. With an anguished roar, amplified by his helmet, he charged the door. But he was too late. By the time Kyle got there, the bottom of the door was already below his knees. “Dio!” Kyle yelled, banging his fist against the door, “Dio!”

 

As Phi fell into never-ending sleep, the last thing she heard was the rhythmic clanging – metal on metal – of Kyle’s gauntlet against the Number Nine Door. It was soothing, in its own way.

 

**Game Over…**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Well, Phi tried, at least._

_Barring any special requests I'll restart by taking us back to the previous choice and having Phi vote instead, continuing K's route. See you then!_


	50. Reclaimed Youth

_After the vote in the comments, Phi will choose to abandon her plan and go into the AB Room._

* * *

It was hopeless. There was no way Phi could beat Dio one-on-one: not before he smashed the vial of Axelavir, at least. Her mind dulled by misery and guilt, Phi shuffled towards one of the remaining Ambidex Rooms. Swiping her keycard limply through the slot, Phi entered the AB Room. Without much thought, Phi pressed ‘Ally’.

The Ambidex Gates reopened shortly afterwards. Phi darted out, hoping to catch Dio as he left his own room. But Phi was too late. Dio had moved swiftly as well and was already in the wide open space in front of the results screen. There would be no way to catch him by surprise.

Phi then looked around for Sigma. He staggered out of an AB Room to Phi’s right, being supported by Clover. His eyes were unfocused, staring vacantly into the distance; Phi had no idea how painful he had found the decision to give up on the Axelavir and repudiate Dio’s blackmail, necessary though it was. Sigma had no other reasonable choice, but actually making it must have been emotional torture.

Before Phi could talk to Sigma, the projectors for the results screen whirred to life. Phi focused on the screen, and on Dio in front of it. Everything would happen in the next few seconds. Phi had to be ready.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

K                                     6                           Betray                       +3                          9  
Alice                                1                                                           +3                          4

Tenmyouji                       6                            Ally                          -2                          4

 

Sigma                              1                            Ally                          -2                         -1  
Clover                              6                                                           -2                           4

Dio                                  6                           Betray                       +3                          9

 

Phi                                   1                           Ally                          +2                          3  
Luna                                1                                                           +2                          3

Quark                              6                           Ally                          +2                          8

 

Sigma had voted… ‘Ally’? He had voted ‘Ally’! He’d actually chosen to go down below zero BP and chosen to die. “What the…?” Phi couldn’t help but voice that shocked, hopeless question.

Kyle spoke, walking up beside Phi. “Sigma’s BP is negative one.” There were hints of grief in his voice, but no surprise. He had expected this result.

Sigma winced as the Soporil was injected, but he stayed standing with sheer willpower. He shook himself free of Clover and stumbled towards Dio.

“Sigma!” Phi yelled as Sigma nearly tripped. She instinctively stepped to one side to catch him if he fell towards her.

Sigma didn’t notice Phi’s shout, or that of any of any of the other players. His attention was fixed on Dio. “Damnit, Dio,” Sigma hissed, “You’ll keep your promise.”

Dio retreated towards the lever that would open the Number Nine Door. “Huh? What are you on about?” he lied unconvincingly.

“Don’t play dumb. Give it back. Give me the medicine.”

Dio shrugged. “Give it back? Don’t act like it’s yours. Shouldn’t we share everything we find here?”

Sigma spat. “I don’t care. Just hand me the medicine. The Axelavir, that we found in the laboratory… and you stole.”

Luna, having just run in through the yellow door, gasped. “You mean he has it? Right now?” Luna hadn’t been there when Sigma, Clover and Dio had returned from the laboratory. This development was a surprise for her.

Finally, Dio gave up on his pretence. He tipped his hat towards Luna. “Yeah. So?”

Sigma staggered another step forwards. “I kept my promise. Now… you…” His voice was getting weaker.

Dio glanced over at the lever for the Number Nine Door, then surveyed Sigma and the players gathering around him. Finally, he came to a decision. “Fine. Here.”

Dio took a vial of purple liquid – clearly the Axelavir – from inside one of his coat pockets and tossed it to Sigma. Sigma’s limp, weakened arms made a bad job of catching it, but eventually he clutched it safely to his chest. He passed it on to Clover before anything untoward could happen to it.

“Clover… get this to Quark,” Sigma said. Then, with his reason for sacrificing his life complete, he fell backwards.

“Aah! Sigma!” Phi rushed forward to support him as he collapsed. “Are you okay?”

“I guess this is it,” Sigma whispered.

Phi could only watch as Sigma faded away. All his muscles relaxed as his willpower left him. Phi knew intellectually that there was no way Sigma could survive, but actually watching him just stop almost shattered her mind.

Sigma’s eyes closed.

 

Then, they shot open again.

Sigma dragged himself to his feet, clambering up Phi without even being aware what he was doing. Some mysterious purpose shone in his eyes. “That’s shocking… but utterly obvious,” Sigma whispered to himself. Phi guessed that the drug in his system had prevented him from realising he was speaking out loud. Sigma pushed himself off Phi to start walking forwards once more. “What’re you waiting for, Dio?” Sigma announced loudly, though his voice was hoarse, “Why don’t you open it already?”

“Huh?” Dio gasped.

“Did I stutter? Open the Number Nine Door.”

“What are you saying?!” Clover exclaimed.

Dio just laughed. “Heh. Looks like you finally gave up. Whatever. I was just about to flip this switch anyway.” Dio leaned to his right and casually forced down the lever. Dio glanced at Kyle. “So, K! You’ve got nine BP too, right? What do you say? Wanna come with?”

Kyle shivered with indecision. “I… I…” He looked over at where Sigma was clumsily stumbling forwards. “I should remain here. With Sigma.”

“No!” Sigma shouted, almost. He would have shouted, had his voice still been capable of it. “Don’t worry about me. Go! You have to get outside and call for help. Do you think Dio will? If he’s the only one who gets out of here there’s no hope for the rest of us.”

Kyle leaned down and whispered – the voice amplification suite in his armour allowed this, for the first time since Phi had met Kyle – into Phi’s ear. “I am sorry that I lied to you. I had… expected this situation to come about, but now that it has actually happened… I don’t think I can explain it in time. If you are interested, and I genuinely hope you are, you only need to go back.” Then, Kyle turned away. He announced to the rest of the room, “I understand. I will go. I promise to call for help and return as soon as I can. Please, do not give up hope.”

“Great!” Dio said with insulting cheer, “Glad we got that settled. Shall we go?”

“No,” Sigma said.

“Huh?” Dio exclaimed, “But you already…”

Sigma snorted. “K will go. You won’t.”

With the last of his strength Sigma leapt forward. He barely made it, but he clasped his arms around Dio’s ankle. “Go, K!” At Sigma’s order, Kyle scurried under the Number Nine Door.

Dio struggled. “What’re you doing, you bastard?! The door’s gonna close. Let me go! Let go, Goddamnit!”

Sigma held on.

 Dio forced himself onwards, dragging Sigma behind him with sudden great jerks. “Why are you doing this?! I kept my promise, didn’t I?”

“Yeah,” Sigma replied, “So did I. I only said I would vote ‘Ally’. I didn’t say anything about letting you escape.”

Dio roared gutturally. “I have to get out of here!” He made another push forward, dragging Sigma’s dead weight behind him. “I’m not going to let my sacred mission get fucked up by the likes of you!”

Sigma could only hold on as Dio dragged him along. Phi was surprised Sigma had the strength for even that. Eventually, however Dio crossed the threshold.

“Sigma! Let go! That’s enough!” Clover shouted. She saw, as Phi did, that Sigma had failed to keep Dio inside the facility. “Please, you have to let go!”

“The door’s going to shut on you if you don’t let go!” Phi yelled. She didn’t understand what Sigma hoped to accomplish.

But Sigma held on. “That’s the point.” He looked up at Dio. “You failed. You failed, Dio.”

Dio continued struggling against Sigma’s grasp. He spat down at Sigma’s prostrate body. “‘Failed’? You’re an idiot right up until the end! Aren’t you? Hurry up and die! Die, you senile old fuck!”

Sigma ignored Dio’s insults. “No, Dio, you failed.” He finally let go of Dio’s leg. “I’m going to live!”

The Number Nine Door crunched down on Sigma’s left arm.

There was silence as the door closed. Then there was a metallic crash – oddly muffled – as Kyle’s gauntleted fist impacted the other side of the Number Nine Door. It was soothing, in its own way. The way that crash sounded the end of the Nonary Game was perfect in its finality.

 

An announcement punctuated the silence. “The Number Nine Door has closed. This ends the Nonary Game. Thank you for your participation. As the game is over, all doors other than the Number Nine Door have been unlocked. Escape is not possible. Please enjoy your stay.”

 Phi could only watch, still as if frozen, as Luna, Clover and Tenmyouji approached Sigma’s stationary body. Luna leaned down next to him and checked his pulse. “Wait! He’s… he’s still alive. He’s still alive!”

Phi could only watch, held still by distraught confusion, as they lifted Sigma up and carried him towards the infirmary. The warehouse was soon empty but for Phi. She was startled by a hacking cough behind her. Phi spun around. It was Alice, picking herself up from the floor of the Ambidex Room she had shared with Kyle.

“What?” Alice asked groggily, “What happened?”

Phi wasn’t sure how to answer. So much had happened since the Ambidex Game had ended.

Alice stepped out of the AB Room and noticed the results screen, still displaying its numbers without any regard to anything that had happened since. “K knocked me out,” Alice stated, “That bastard knocked me out so he could get to nine BP, didn’t he?”

“Yeah,” Phi replied, “He left. Dio’s gone too.”

Alice tensed up futilely, then relaxed. “I should have expected that. Fine. What happened afterwards?”

“Dio opened the door and K followed him out. Sigma got penalised, but he still seems to be alive. He got his arm cut off by sticking it under the door as it closed.” Phi explained as succinctly as she could.

Alice nodded. “Fine. Where did Clover go?”

Phi pointed towards the yellow door.

“Right. I should check up on her.” Alice disappeared in that direction as well.

Phi was finally truly left alone in the warehouse. She was lost in her own thoughts. Half an hour ago, she had been sure that she had the answer to save Sigma and Quark. She had been certain that she had the perfect plan, with Kyle, to stop Dio. Now, Dio had escaped, alongside Kyle, and Sigma was lying in the infirmary, having been penalised and with his left arm completely severed.

How had everything gone so wrong?

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Sorry about the short chapter, everyone. When I was writing this I found that the finale of the route worked better as its own separate chapter, so I ended this one here. See you in two weeks time when we conclude Kyle's route._


	51. K END: Inheritance

Phi retreated from the warehouse. There was nothing there for her now; she needed time and space to collect herself and quell her nerves. The secret passage behind the lounge: that would do. For a moment, the thought left a bitter taste in her mouth – finding that passage had made Phi believe she was so close to success, before everything had gone horribly wrong – but it was still the only place where Phi could be sure she wouldn’t be disturbed.

Phi walked through the corridor behind the magenta door in disillusioned silence. She passed into the lounge, reflecting on how the dim lighting now was no longer inviting but oppressively gloomy. Phi approached the wall where the hidden opening lay.

The bulkheads were once again sealed.

Shaking with frustration, Phi nearly gave up immediately. But then she noticed a bright square affixed to the wall, one which hadn’t been there before. She pried it off the surface; it was a post-it note. Four numbers were written on it in large, careful print. It had to be Kyle’s handwriting. Phi revealed the keypad from behind its panel and tentatively entered the number Kyle had given her.

The bulkheads opened and Phi stepped through. As the door closed up behind her, Phi reflexively closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. The stress hadn’t gone, but it felt more distant now. Objectively, she had done everything she possibly could. No opportunity had slipped through her fingers; there had been no opportunity in the first place.

Once Phi had calmed her nerves, she opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was an energetic glow streaming through the ajar door to Kyle’s room. Stepping inside, she found that the computer there had been switched on and a text file was displayed on the screen. By the looks of it, it was a letter. Writing it must have been what Kyle had done during the time that Phi had left him alone. With nothing better to do, Phi read it.

 

‘Dear Phi,                                                                                

‘When you read this, I will most likely have long since escaped the Nonary Game. Still, I feel that I have business here that I will not be able to finish. Because of what I am about to do, most of that unfinished business concerns you; I hope that what I tell you here goes some way towards giving myself some closure.

‘You are probably still wondering about my behaviour before and during the final round of the Ambidex Game. You are probably wondering why I did not explain when I deviated from your plan. To be honest, I’m not thinking very clearly right now. Each sight and sound and smell brings with it new memories. From where you are standing, it will probably be obvious that I could have handled matters better. But here, I feel like what I am about to do is my only possible option. All I can do is explain and hope you believe me, or at least understand.

‘First, you already know that the old lady who was murdered, Akane Kurashiki, was my mother. I’ – here there were several spaces accidently typed between the words, artefacts of sentences written and then quickly deleted – ‘have not been entirely honest with you. My mother knew more about the Nonary Game than I told you. She was not Zero. Please, trust me on that. But she knew who Zero was and she knew why the Nonary Game had to happen. That was why she had to die. Someone had to die, and my mother would not let an innocent die in her place.’

‘She also knew who would kill her. I also knew who would kill her. It will not surprise you to learn that it was Dio.

‘There is also something else I should tell you. You came to me with your plan on the basis that Sigma would vote ‘Betray’ and we would need to retrieve the Axelavir from Dio before he could carry out his threat. Had that been the case, I suspect your plan would have been a good one. But, as you have just found out, that was not the case. And I knew that Sigma would choose ‘Ally’ from the moment my memories began to return.

‘How, you ask? Sigma is my father.

‘After what I told you about my mother, you may also be suspicious about my father. You need not worry. Sigma knows nothing about the Nonary Game. When he told you that he was kidnapped by Zero, he was telling you only the truth. The Sigma you know is the real Sigma. And he would never choose to let a child die merely to save his own life. Still, I have some hope that he survived. When it comes down to it, Sigma is a very resourceful person, just like you. He raised me the same way.

‘So, that explains my choice. I knew that Dio would betray Sigma and attempt to escape. Hopefully, the Axelavir is being administered to Quark as you read this. Knowing that the Nonary Game was about to end, I knew that I also had to be able to escape. I could not let Dio be the only person to win the game, and I was the only player in a position to reach nine points. I do not yet know how I will deal with Alice in the Ambidex Room, but I will. I have to. When you next see her, please apologise to her on my behalf.

‘Let me assure you of two things. The first is that I will come back for you. Do not give up hope. The things you choose to do in the facility between now and then still have meaning. Anything you learn about the Nonary Game will be important.

‘May I suggest where you should begin? My mother keeps an identification card for this facility on her, as well as her diary. If anyone has the right to decide what to do with them now that she is gone, it is me. I believe she would want you to have them; may the information on them prove useful to you.

‘One thing I have only just remembered is my mother saying was that she believed that there was some way for us to save her, even once we had seen her dead. Having seen it, I cannot share that hope, but if you can glean any insight into what she meant I would be very grateful. What my mother wrote in her diary may seem mysterious – even obtuse – to you at first, but I would request that you pay attention to it. She always made cryptic statements when she was alive and she was almost always right.’

‘Finally let me assure you once again. Dio and I will leave the Nonary Game through the Number Nine Door. But Dio will not leave this facility alive.

‘With best regards,

‘Kyle Klim’

 

Phi turned her head away with annoyance. She was annoyed both with Kyle and with herself. Why had Kyle given her the silent treatment before the Ambidex Game, rather than explaining to her once he had confirmed Dio was in his Ambidex Room? Why hadn’t Phi expected and made plans for Sigma’s actual decision? Either way, it was frustrating.

Phi wasn’t sure how to process Kyle’s claims about Akane Kurashiki and about Sigma. That Sigma was completely innocent seemed reasonable. After all, he had risked his life and actually sacrificed his arm: hardly the actions of a villain. But what to make of Kyle’s claims about his mother? He’d actually admitted, though only in his parting letter, that Akane had known more about the Nonary Game than was trustworthy. Kyle probably had known too much too, before he lost his memory and once he regained it. There was too much Phi didn’t know for her to get a handle on the situation.

Kyle had given her one idea of where to start looking for more information. Doing something productive would take her mind off the worry. A renewed sense of purpose permeating her, Phi stood up, switched off the computer and headed to the infirmary.

 

Phi had expected the infirmary to be a bloodbath, as Luna and the others tried to stabilise Sigma after his horrific wounding. Instead, all seemed fine. The remaining players were gathered around Sigma, yes, but there was no urgency and Sigma was even starting to wake up as the Soporil wore off. Phi was astonished, but the reason for this was quickly explained.

“I heard what happened,” Tenmyouji said to Sigma as he returned to consciousness, “Cybernetic arms, huh? Can’t say I’m surprised. I was getting a feeling something was up with you.”

Cybernetic arms? Phi looked down at the bed and saw that where she had expected to see a torrentially bleeding stump there was only a dry white-stained hole with a jumble of mechanical components poking out of it. It was cybernetic, just like his eye was. No wonder Sigma hadn’t bled out like Phi had expected him to, and no wonder he had been so willing to let the Number Nine Door crush his arm. Luna lifted Sigma’s arm and wrapped the end in gauze. Given the loss of his arm, Sigma was as well as he could possibly be.

Quark was also awake and well. He bounced up from his bed and bounded with unprecedented energy over to Sigma. “I’m better, thanks to you! You got the medicine from that jerk Dio, right?”

Sigma raised his body up carefully and beamed at Quark. “That’s right.” Then, he gazed at all the people surrounding him. “So… what do we do now?”

“We’ve just got to wait and hope K comes back for us,” Phi replied. “In the meantime, we should look for as much information as possible. Anything we find might help us work out who Zero Sr. is.”

Sigma nodded. “Yeah. Pool our knowledge.” Then, his eyes brightened with realisation. “Right! You lot should have a look at this.”

Sigma – awkwardly, since he was forced to use the wrong arm – retrieved the Latin journal he had shown Phi earlier. Sigma explained where he had found it, and Phi opened it up to that one particular page and explained her translation.

“It was the complete opposite of what we guessed,” Luna pondered, “We’re not infected; the rest of the world is! So this place isn’t a quarantine facility: it’s more like a shelter…”

Phi shook her head. “We don’t know anything for sure yet. As I said, we need as much data as we can find if we want to come to the correct conclusion. And I’ve got an idea of where to start.” Phi walked over to Akane Kurashiki’s body, still lying on the infirmary bed as she had since she had been found. Phi was following Kyle’s advice here, but wasn’t quite ready to explain that to the others. Instead, she just said, “We never found out who she was. She must have been here before the game started.”

“Wait!” Quark piped up, “You know what? What if the old lady is Zero Sr.?” Quark’s statement  brought a different section of Kyle’s letter to Phi’s mind. Kyle had claimed that Akane wasn’t Zero Sr., but had admitted that she knew more than she should about the Nonary Game. What difference did that make to anything?

“But that would mean the person in charge of this was murdered by someone,” Clover said, “That doesn’t make sense.”

“Either way, we should take a look at her one more time.” Phi patted down the woman’s clothes, quickly finding the identification card and diary the Kyle had promised.

The card had Akane Kurashiki’s name on it and also several long strings of numbers like passcodes. Phi passed the card to Sigma; his photographic memory was much more suited to remembering those sorts of contextless details. Instead, she sat down, opened up the diary to its last entry – it would be the most useful – and began to read.

 

‘Tomorrow the Nonary Game begins. All the players are either here in or close to this facility. The bracelets have been primed with Soporil Beta and Turbocuarine. All the puzzles have been set to their initial positions and their safes’ contents have been checked and triple checked. Everything is ready.

‘One last duty, that I chose to undertake personally, was administering the increased dosage of Soporil Beta to Kyle. It is a shame that he will lose his memories, but it is necessary. The Nonary Game is necessary, and so Kyle’s actions during the Nonary Game must necessarily be those of an amnesiac. He has been prepared for this his entire life. He was born for this.

‘Thoughts of necessity bring my own fate to mind. The enemy – the man who will call himself Dio – has been sighted at a hideout not far from here. He is coming here. If he is to believe he came here unnoticed, then someone must die. I will be that someone. He will stab me from behind, thinking I am just another player, and then he will enter the Nonary Game and I will die.

‘I must let myself die. Nevertheless, I want to survive. There is some small chance – maybe one-in-three, maybe one-in-nine – that I will live. I try to imagine the form my salvation will take. When I do so, I am constantly reminded of Schrodinger’s Cat.’

Phi was familiar with that quantum-mechanical thought experiment. The cat that was both alive and dead was an obvious metaphor to come to the mind of someone facing uncertainty and death. But then the journal took a turn for the strange.

‘From my perspective, tomorrow I shall be alive or dead. From the perspective of the players, I will be both alive and dead.’

That… didn’t make sense. From Phi’s perspective, Akane was dead. Clearly dead. She was right there on the mattress in front of Phi with a hole in her chest. The diary continued regardless.

‘And so, like Schrodinger’s Cat, I await the opening of the box. Perhaps the players will find the cat alive; perhaps they will find it dead. But I fear one thing more than the cat being alive or the cat being dead.

‘I fear that when the players open the box, the cat won’t be there at all.’

 

Phi sighed and placed the book in her lap. She concentrated. That last sentence needed some parsing. Phi’s first thought was that the metaphor had been twisted so far and into such convolution as to make it completely meaningless. But Akane Kurashiki had taken time to write it on her last day alive. It clearly held meaning for her. Kyle had warned Phi that Akane was cryptic; perhaps Phi should put in the effort to work out what she meant.

The remainder of the diary seemed to promise an explanation. There were many more paragraphs after where Phi had stopped reading. There had to be something there that would make sense of the metaphor. Phi collected her willpower together, ready to focus all of her intelligence on solving this riddle.

Phi’s thoughts were shattered by a sudden scream.

“Alice!” Clover’s voice rang out. “Alice?! What are you doing?”

Phi looked up. Alice loomed over her; it appeared that intimidating pose was entirely unintentional, since Alice shuffled backwards and Phi saw that her eyes were gazing off into the distance, unfocused. Alice lifted her right arm. It held a knife.

“Goodbye.” Alice plunged the knife into her own heart.

Blood shot out of the wound, drenching Phi instantly. Phi’s mind broke. It had happened so quickly – less than a second – that she couldn’t adjust. She could only continue along the same course she had already decided before it had happened.

She had been reading. She was reading the diary. She mindlessly picked up where she left off and read the next sentence.

‘Blood.’ The next sentence was covered in blood.

Phi no longer had the ability to understand what she was reading. She just continued reading the next paragraph.

‘Blood.’ The next paragraph was covered in blood. The next paragraph was blood.

Phi continued reading all the way to the end of the page, line after line, paragraph after paragraph, nothing but blood, meaningless blood.

Then Phi turned the page. There was no blood on the last page of the diary. Phi was able to read the very last line of the diary. What she read was almost worse than more blood.

The last line of Akane Kurashiki’s journal read, ‘When you read this, Phi, the deaths will have already started. There is nothing more for you here. It is time for you to leave. Leave now!’

How had she known? How had she known that Phi would be the one to read the diary? How had she known that Alice would kill herself, and be the first to die, at that very moment? How had she known all that, which happened so long after she had died?

Phi couldn’t understand. She wasn’t capable of understanding anything. Under the weight of despair and confusion, Phi's mind crashed entirely.

Phi’s mind abandoned her body and, as Akane had commanded, Phi left.

 

**K - END**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_One more route completed! Once again, this route emphasises my route creation strategy of "If someone else leaves through the Number Nine Door in VLR, make it their route." Even so, I do think this route fits quite well thematically. The ending of VLR's Quark route is basically, "Let's search Akane's body for Plot Keys"; my route gives a reason for that._

_There's only one place we can go now to advance the story: back to chapter 34 to betray Alice. See you there in two weeks' time!_


	52. Not Enough Information

_We restart after chapter 34, this time choosing to betray Alice in the first Ambidex Game_

* * *

Phi, nervously aware of the last seconds of the countdown, made her choice: ‘Betray’. Alice had to have gone through the same thought processes as Phi. Without time to prepare and talk to her opponent, the only logical choice was for Phi to protect herself and Sigma. Perhaps next round, now that the players knew what the Ambidex Game entailed, they could build the trust needed to ally.

The AB Gates opened – with the announcement “Round one of the Ambidex Game has been completed. Results will be displayed in the warehouse,” – but Phi couldn’t leave yet. Sigma was still suffering from the trance or stroke or whatever-it-was that had afflicted him. Phi rushed back over to his side, kneeling down next to where he was slumped in the corner.

“Sigma!” she cried, trying to shake him awake.

Phi could see Sigma’s real eye moving under his closed eyelid. It wasn’t moving uncontrollably, like a seizure victim, just as smoothly and naturally as it would if he were in complete normal control of it, but it was still disconcerting. Slowly, Sigma stirred.

“What… was that?” he murmured, “I saw…”

When Sigma trailed off, Phi prompted him, “Saw what?”

“The… the explosion. I think there’s a bomb somewhere in this building. I’m not sure but it sounded like it was on a timer. You and I were trying to stop it, but we couldn’t do anything, and…”

Phi remembered how Sigma had muttered ‘Bomb’ before he collapsed. Now he was spouting an entire story on the same topic, frantic emotion causing his voice to tremble. He sounded as certain as if he had actually seen it happen. Perhaps he thought he had: the way his eye had moved while in the trance certainly suggested he had been looking at something.

“Whoa, Sigma! Calm down!” Phi clamped her hand over Sigma’s mouth until he stopped babbling. “What are you talking about?”

“Argh… my head…” Sigma moaned, “Ah… it hurts.”

“You know, you said it hurt when you first woke up in the AB Room too.”

“It didn’t just hurt. It felt like it was going to explode…” Sigma rubbed the side of his head. “Maybe I should just… lay my head on your lap a bit…”

Phi sighed. “Of course. I shouldn’t have worried about you.”

Sigma clambered up from where he lay. For the first time, he saw that the doors were now open. “Huh? What happened in the AB Game?”

“I voted ‘Betray’,” Phi replied nervously.

Sigma sighed. “It would have been great if we could have voted ‘Ally’, but now that I think about it, that was the right choice. I can guarantee Alice chose ‘Betray’.”

“How do you know that?”

Sigma thought, then rolled his eyes. “I guess you could say… I just know.”

Phi glared at him. “Are you making fun of me?” Normally, Phi would have thought that he definitely was making fun of it, but after Sigma’s ‘vision’ or whatever it was, Phi suspected there was something more behind Sigma’s ‘just know’.

Sigma’s reply was drowned out by an indignant shout from Zero “Wasssuuuuup! Siggy, Phido! We’re about to announce the results!”

Everyone else was already standing around Zero, and Sigma and Phi rushed over to join them. They would have to leave the discussion of Sigma’s vision behind them; the results came first.

With a fanfare, Zero began. “Ambidex Game! Round One!” Giving a mocking bow, his avatar vanished from the screen to be replaced by an orderly table of results:

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

K                                     3                           Betray                        +3                         6  
Clover                             3                                                             +3                         6

Tenmyouji                      3                             Ally                           -2                         1

 

Dio                                 3                             Ally                          +2                          5  
Quark                             3                                                             +2                          5

Luna                               3                             Ally                          +2                          5

 

Sigma                             3                           Betray                        +3                          6  
Phi                                  3                                                            +3                          6

Alice                               3                             Ally                          -2                          1

 

There was an uproar as everyone comprehended the results. Two people were now hovering precariously on one bracelet point.

Before Phi could move, Alice was right in front of her. There was no escaping the fury emblazoned on Alice’s face. Alice seemed to be winding up to yell at them, but somehow Sigma got there first.

“Hey! Alice! What the hell is this! You chose ‘Betray’ last time...”

“Last time?” Alice asked, “What on earth are you talking about?”

Sigma spluttered in confusion, but eventually managed to get out a question. “When exactly did you press the button?”

“Five minutes before the deadline,” Alice answered.

“What? No, that can’t be. That was before Phi pressed ours… How the hell…?”

Phi tried to piece together what Sigma was on about. He had been convinced that Alice had voted betray, and had been suddenly proven wrong. Phi guessed that Sigma was trying to work out when and why Alice had chosen ‘Ally’, but apparently Alice had made her choice first. Phi was tempted to ascribe this to some mere delusion from Sigma, but some instinct stopped her. Sigma had looked certain. He had said that he ‘just knew’, exactly as Phi had when she had somehow guessed Sigma’s name. There was something more here. She knew there was something more here, but she didn’t know what.

By then, Alice had recovered from the shock, and was saying what she had intended to say. “Why do I have to answer your questions?! I should be the one yelling at you! Because of you two, I’ve only got one BP left! What in God’s name is wrong with you?”

Phi shook her head. “If we’d known you were going to choose ‘Ally’, we would have done the same. But we couldn’t know. Sorry.”

Alice interrupted her, “Forget it. I’m never going to trust either of you again. You’ll pay for this.” With a scornful look, Alice stormed away.

Phi chose to observe the discussions among the other two trios. Tenmyouji stood facing Clover and K with a mournful expression on his face, while they looked sheepishly back.

“I guess I haven’t had enough time to earn your trust, huh?” Tenmyouji said softly.

Clover cocked her head to one side. “Um… I suppose you could say that. I just didn’t really expect you to be so nice about it.”

The other discussion had concluded significantly more happily.

“Thank you! Thank you so very much,” Luna said warmly.

“Don’t worry about it,” Quark replied with a grin, “We only did what anyone else would do. Right, Mr. Dio?”

Dio shrugged. “Y-Yeah, exactly.” Then Dio looked snidely at the other two groups of three. “Well, not quite what anyone would do…”

That is, happily apart from the disparaging comments Dio was insistent on inserting.

 

With all three discussions concluded, there was nothing to do but carry on with the Nonary Game.

Alice turned to the screen, where Zero’s rodent-like avatar was waiting for them smugly, and checked her bracelet. “Zero, our bracelets say the next round starts in an hour. How do we get through the next set of doors downstairs?”

Zero giggled. “Maybe you don’t get through those doors. Maybe you have to stay up here, forever, with meeeeee! Won’t that be fun?”

Alice answered confidently, “You called this ‘Round One’. Where there’s a round one, there’s a round two.”

K interjected, “Besides, didn’t you say the goal of the AB Game was to get nine BP? That’s impossible without a second round.”

Zero pouted, his elaborate hat drooping to one side. “You lot are no fun. Yes, there’s a second round. There!” Suddenly Zero perked up. “Yes, you get to vote again, loads more juicy betrayals! Just as soon as you get the AB gates open again.

Clover made a quizzical little squeak. “But… they’re already open!”

Zero mimed slamming his head into his hand. “Whoopsie! Lemme just clooooose them!” On Zero’s cue six pairs of doors whirred closed.

Once all the doors were fully closed an announcement played through the speakers. “Round two of the Ambidex Game will be the Moon round. Moon keys will be required to open the gates.”

“So those Sun keys you have are just compleeeeetely useless now,” Zero concluded, “Weeeell, I guess you could throw them at each other, or use them to pick your teeth, but other than that they’re useless.”

“So, how many times do we play the AB game?” Dio asked.

Zero shrugged. “Dunno? As many times as you need to? I plan on keeping this party going until somebunny opens the Number Nine door. It could be next round! Or you could get stuck below 9 BP, where everybunny just keeps going back and forth, back and forth, winning and losing points… After all, if no one has nine BP the door can’t open… Round three, Round four, Round five… Round 100, Round 2000… you might even go all the way to Round 17,179,869,183: things get really weird if I get that high. I really, really hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Sigma, a curious look on his face, asked Zero a question. “There’s rules about who can go through the Chromatic doors, right? Like, you have to have three people exactly. Are there similar rules for the Number Nine door?”

“Nope! There aren’t any rules about how many people can go through that door. It could be one person, or two people, or even all nine of you.” Zero frowned. “Just one thing, though, Siggy… All that stuff about how you have to have three people to go through the secondary Chromatic doors. Maybe it’s not… 100% true. You just need to have the correct three bracelets. As long as the scanners see the right combination of bracelets… the people don’t matter.”

“So you’re saying these things can come off?” Sigma said.

“Tell me how I take it off!” Quark shouted, pulling at his wrist.

“Well, there’s two ways,” Zero explained, “First is to escape through the Number Nine door. Soon as you do, you’re free to go, none of my business, no more turbocuarine hanging over you. Second… well the second’s far more enjoyable.”

“What’s the second way, Zero?!” Dio yelled, “Tell us already!”

Zero chuckled deeply. “Oh, B.O. I think you already know. Do you really want to get rid of that bracelet? It’s easy. Nothing to it.

“You die.

“Now if we’re lucky, we might see a few of them come off during the next round!” Zero giggled at his thinly veiled threat. “If I had to guess, it’s gonna be Tenmyouldy or Alas…” – Zero grinned maniacally at the two people who had been betrayed in the first round – “or even both of them.”

Zero then explained that anyone whose BP dropped to zero would be punished just as harshly as if they’d broken the rules.

Alice scolded Zero passionately. “What the hell! This is important stuff! Why didn’t you tell us earlier? You were supposed to tell us the rules, not hide them! Is there anything else you’ve conveniently left out?! It’s not fair to make us play the game without explaining all the rules!” This didn’t accomplish anything. Zero was an AI, and a malicious one at that, and was unlikely to be swayed by anything they could say.

 

Instead, Zero carried on with his spiel. “The next set of Chromatic Doors you’ll be going through are downstairs,” Zero continued to explain, “You already saw them, right? There should have been three: red, blue and green. That means to get through, you’ll need bracelets in cyan, magenta and yellow. But wait! You already have those bracelets!”

Phi looked down at her wrist automatically. Her bracelet had been updated with her new score – ‘6’ – and as Zero had implied the colour of the text had changed: it was now magenta. As an extra surprise, the small text below the number now read ‘SOLO’; not only had the Nonary Game broken up her pairing with Sigma, but it had left her without a partner at all.

Phi glanced over at Sigma’s bracelet. His now had yellow text, but more importantly he was still part of a pair. That meant there was a possibility that they could be on opposite sides of the next AB Game, if they so chose. That would be… interesting. While they had been waiting during the previous round, Phi had explained to Sigma in some detail the reasons in favour of both allying and betraying. If Phi did choose to go with Sigma through the next Chromatic Door, would they be able to trust each other enough to ally?

In order to help make her decision, Phi quickly checked what everyone else’s bracelets had changed to:

Sigma’s new partner was Luna; they were the yellow pair.  
Tenmyouji and Dio were the magenta pair.  
K and Quark were the cyan pair.  
Clover was the cyan solo.  
Finally, Alice was the yellow solo.

“When did they change?” Quark asked Zero.

“Back when the AB gates closed. As soon as the gates close, your colours get all shuffled up automatically. The pair and solo assignments hop around too,” Zero explained, jumping around the screen to illustrate his statement.

“Now, with all that explained… I must bid you adieu. Sadly…” – Zero’s lip trembled – “we may never meet again. There’s not really anything for me to facilitate anymore. I’ll never see you guys…again!”

There was awkward silence.

Suddenly Zero burst out laughing. “Did you really think I was gonna cry! I hate you losers. Anyway gooood luck. I may be gone, but I’m always watching. Have a nice tragedy!” With that, the mouse disappeared from the screen, never to be seen again.

Good riddance.

 

Quark was the first to speak. “So… what happens now? We’ve still got a while till the Chromatic Doors open.” In fact, they had three quarters of an hour.

Alice took charge. “We should go and see if we can find any other exits,” she commanded, “Maybe there’s a vent or a disposal chute or something. I for one wouldn’t mind examining the other rooms.”

“Let’s split up,” Phi suggested. She estimated how much time they wold need to get down to the Chromatic Doors. “Let’s meet in front of the Chromatic Doors five minutes before they open.”

The group split up. Phi headed towards the lounge; it was a room she hadn’t yet explored so she was particularly curious about it. She arrived to find that it was luxuriously furnished, with a well-stocked bar stretching across the opposite wall, and an invitingly comfortable sofa adorned with plump maroon cushions in the near corner.

The lights in the lounge were dimmed to engender an appealing ambience, but as Phi looked around she had a disconcerting feeling that her vision was even darker than it was supposed to be. She slouched into the corner of the sofa and massaged her temples with her fingers. Though she hadn’t noticed it at first, but a subtle headache had formed; it was the subconscious distraction of it that had clouded her vision.

Before Phi could get comfortable, Clover and Luna also entered from the direction of the magenta door. Phi shook her head to clear the headache, then greeted them. Clover, who had explored the room first with K and Tenmyouji, gave them an outline of the puzzle they had solved to get the safe open.

“It was all about, um, lunar eclipses,” Clover said, “No, not you, Luna…” – Luna hadn’t given any indication that she thought ‘lunar’ referred to her, but Clover said it anyway – “… I mean ‘lunar’ as in, like, moony. You know, astronomy.” When pressed for details, Clover continued, “There was a projector beam across the middle of the room, spelling out the words ‘green sun’, ‘blue planet’ and ‘red moon’. I’m kinda glad it’s off now. K managed to blind himself with it. You wouldn’t think a guy could squeal that high. Turns out the eye holes on his suit have, like, magnification.”

With that sorted, it was time to get searching. They divided the room into three sections, each person searching one section. Since she was already standing there, Phi took the area around the sofa. However, it seemed the sofa had already been examined quite thoroughly: Phi could see the creases and rumples where the seats had been removed to search underneath. Once she was sure nothing was to be found, Phi surrendered to futility and turned to see how the other two were doing. Unfortunately, they were as frustrated as she was.

Recalling the mysterious conversation between Clover and Alice she had overheard earlier, Phi’s curiosity piqued. There had to be something interesting to discover there. It might even shed light on why they had been kidnapped in the first place.

“So, Clover, how do you and Alice know each other?” Phi asked.

Clover scratched the corner of her mouth. “Well, we’re co-workers.”

“That’s… vague. Care to elaborate? Where do you ‘co-work’?”

Clover frowned. “Um… I can’t tell you.”

Well. That was suspicious.

Clover continued apologetically. “Okay, I’ll tell you what I can. We met shortly after the… um… earlier Nonary Game I was in. We’d all escaped, and I was driving us away from the place where they’d held us. It turned out that we were in the middle of the Nevada desert. Alice’s jeep had broken down, but we were able to pick her up and save her life. Yay!”

Phi immediately pounced on the loose thread in Clover’s tale. “That was a hell of a coincidence, Alice just happening to break down right next to a Nonary Game.”

Clover pouted. “Hey! If you’re gonna be like that I shouldn’t tell you anything.” Before Phi could react Clover changed the subject. “Luna, you went through the infirmary, right? What’s it like in there?”

Luna smiled mildly. “It was very interesting. It was not quite as well equipped as a true hospital, of course, but the diagnostic machine it does have is very advanced. I have a medical licence, so I was able to experiment with some more features of it than were required for the puzzle.” Then, Luna gasped. “I hope we’re not going to have to use the infirmary again. It would be awful if one of us was injured.”

Satisfied with Luna’s description, Clover then turned on Phi. “You were in the crew quarters with Alice, weren’t you? I bet Alice did really well at solving the puzzles.”

“Hmm…” Phi replied noncommittally. She wasn’t particularly willing to discuss what had happened in the crew quarters. The only thing of interest had been the book about Schrodinger’s Cat; the only result if word of that got around would be an endless stream of cat puns from Sigma, each more tortuous than the last.

 

As if summoned by her merest thought of the word ‘cat’, Sigma wandered in. He looked around the room and grinned. “So… This is the lounge, huh… A bar, a sofa… and three ladies. I feel like I’m in the VIP room.” Ugh. Sigma must have been perfectly fine after all.

“Can I get you a drink?” Clover asked, gesturing at the shelves behind the bar. Goddamnit Clover, don’t encourage him!

“You’d better not be underage,” Sigma said mock-sternly. Clover said she was twenty one, so Sigma continued, “Well, I guess we could possibly have a drink or two, then… Unfortunately, as much fun as that sounds like, I don’t think it’s a very good idea. This isn’t really a good time to be getting wasted.”

Clover made a typical show of immaturity, to the point that Phi almost thought she was putting it on to deflect suspicion. “Really? It seems like this sort of thing is exactly what makes people want to drink in the first place.”

“You’ve got a point… I’m just kidding,” Sigma said, giggling, “Besides, I’ve got a headache. Drinking is… probably not the best plan.”

“It hasn’t gone away yet?” Phi asked. Just a headache wasn’t as bad as the stroke she’d first thought he’d suffered, but it was worrying that it had lasted so long. Sigma’s gregarious entrance to the lounge, which Phi had originally taken as a sign that he had recovered, must have been forced past the pain in his head: merely a façade.

“Well, it was fine for a while, but now I guess it’s back,” Sigma replied, “Yeah, I’m sure if I just leave it alone it’ll go away in a bit. That’s how it went before, anyway. Has this been happening to anyone else?”

Phi remembered the way her eyes had glazed over as they first accustomed themselves to the low-level light of the lounge. “Now that you mention it, I did get one a bit ago. I feel fine now, though.”

Luna had also suffered headaches since waking up in the Nonary Game, but Clover instead had a different problem. “It’s… hard to explain. I just feel kinda… weird,” Clover said, crossing her arms defensively, “My body feels weird. Like, my whole body.”

“Do you feel kind of… numb? I think I’ve got the same thing,” Sigma concurred, “It’s kind of like when you fall asleep on top of one of your arms. And then when you wake up, that arm kinda feels like it’s not really yours anymore? It’s not just my arm though. My whole body feels kind of numb and foreign.”

“Oh, if that’s what you’re talking about then, yeah, I know what you mean,” Phi said, “It’s kind of like my body isn’t really mine. I’m sort of… floating. Like that?”

As Sigma and Clover worked themselves into a panic, even making Phi nervous, Luna offered an explanation. “Maybe it’s because of the anaesthetic gas. It seems like we were unconscious for a long time, so it must have been pretty powerful stuff.”

“You think this might be some sort of side effect?” Sigma asked nervously.

“Well, it could be a side effect, or it could be that it hasn’t worn off completely yet.”

The four of them stood in silence, contemplating their fear of the subtle but uncomfortable problems their bodies were experiencing. Eventually, Phi realised she’d need to break the tension if they were to do anything other than stand there awkwardly forever. “Whatever. That’s not important. Right now we need to figure out how to get out of here.”

Sigma nodded. “Alright. I’ll go have a look somewhere else, then.” With that, the lingering anxiety about illness and headaches was put behind them.

 

Once Sigma had left, Clover also made her move. Glaring conflictedly at Phi – it seemed Clover also wasn’t going to forgive Phi for betraying Alice – Clover left. Phi and Luna were left behind in the lounge. Phi was about to turn and start searching again, but Luna approached her.

“Phi,” Luna said, “There’s something I need to show you. Something Quark, Dio and I found in the infirmary. Can you come with me, please?”

Luna led Phi out of the lounge and down the corridor. To Phi’s surprise they headed straight past the infirmary and towards the crew quarters. When they arrived, they found K and Quark searching cabin one.

“Hello, Miss Phi, Miss Luna!” Quark greeted them cheerfully, “Are you gonna help us search like Mister Sigma did?”

Phi saw that Quark was holding the _Schrodinger’s Cat_ book to his chest. With a twinge of dread, she asked, “Did you show that book to Sigma?”

Quark grinned. “Hee hee. It was really funny.”

“Goddamnit!” Phi sighed. “I was hoping he hadn’t seen that again. Those cat puns are really annoying.”

“I imagine,” K said, “that they are the sort of characteristic that, while annoying at first, would be easy to get used to after knowing Sigma for some time. I hate to say this, Phi, but I believe you are over-reacting.”

“Fine. Just… try not to encourage him.”

Now that that was out of the way, Luna got down to the reason that she had brought Phi to the crew quarters. “Quark, do you still have the article I gave you earlier?”

“Sure do!” Quark replied. He pulled a scrap of newspaper out of his jacket pocket and held it out to Luna, who told him to give it to Phi. Phi took it and silently read the headline.

‘Radical-6 Infection Spreads, Cure Continues to Elude Authorities.’

The article described how this so called ‘Radical-6’ had spread across the world, killing hundreds of thousands of people. Phi wondered why the hell Luna had decided to leave such a traumatic article in the hands of a child, but refrained from commenting; instead she asked what Luna thought about the article.

“I have no idea,” Luna replied, “I just thought everyone should see it. When we all meet up again, we can discuss it.”

“If it is telling the truth,” K said, “then it is very disturbing. We are playing this Nonary Game in order to escape into the outside world. What are we playing for, if the outside world is as this article describes?”

The conversation trailed off. There wasn’t much they could infer from a single article, and in any case Phi was unwilling to discuss it too brazenly in front of the kid. Instead they went back to searching. Room one had already been thoroughly searched by the time Luna and Phi had arrived, and there were only twenty minutes remaining before the players had to meet at the Chromatic Doors, so they decided to split up to search the remaining three cabins in the crew quarters. Quark ran over to room four, K went to search room three, so Phi and Luna went together to search room two. As they made their way over, Phi tried to make small talk.

“So, um… You said you had a medical licence. Does that mean you were… a doctor, or a nurse? What… was that like?”

Phi wasn’t very good at small talk.

“Well… I wasn’t really a doctor or a nurse,” Luna answered, “I worked for a man named Doctor Klim – not a medical doctor, it was a PhD in computer science – in a research facility he had built in the middle of nowhere. He was trying to develop true Artificial Intelligence; that’s part why his facility had to be out in the wilderness: to prevent any malicious programs escaping using WiFi.”

As Luna said this, Phi shuddered. Her imagination produced vivid and horrifying images of a rogue AI taking over the world with a horde of remorseless robots; such a thing was a particular fear of hers. Even so, Phi steeled her expression and allowed Luna to continue.

“Because he was so remote, he needed someone who could deal with medical emergencies. That’s why he, well, hired me. He was a man I really respected. Unlike many others, he treated me kindly…”

“Why wouldn’t someone treat you kindly?” Phi asked sympathetically.

“I’d… rather not say,” Luna replied sadly, “Anyway, Doctor Klim is a man I respect. He gave me this…” – Luna held out the necklace that had been hidden beneath the folds of her dress. At the end of the golden chain was an ornate cage, inside of which was a model of a blue bird looking mournfully out at the world through the narrow but sturdy bars – “so that I’d always remember him, and he made me feel like I was properly one of his family. If I get out of here, I hope that means I’ll see him again.”

Phi listened to Luna politely, but turned her focus to what they were there for: searching cabin two. Though she was sure Alice had checked it thoroughly when they had originally solved the puzzle, it wouldn’t hurt to search it again. Phi rummaged through the cabinet but was unable to find anything unrelated to the puzzle. The phone was even less useful: it appeared to have been deactivated entirely after the conclusion of the puzzle. Phi turned around and re-examined the bed. A quick search confirmed that there was no possible way the thin mattress and fraying sheet could possibly hide anything.

And then Phi knelt down and looked under the bed.

 

There was something there. Something that wasn’t supposed to be there. Attached inconspicuously to the bottom side of the bed was a metal cylinder, the number ‘03’ engraved on the cap around one end. The middle of the cylinder was translucent, and when Phi peered inside she could see a tiny speck, held as though floating in the exact centre of the chamber inside the cylinder. Despite its miniscule size, the speck glowed furiously. Though Phi had never seen it before, she recognised the technology required to keep something floating like that. Of course, the so-called Penning trap had only ever seen one useful application in the entire history of Science.

That speck was antimatter. That cylinder was an antimatter bomb.

Bomb. Bomb. Sigma had mentioned a bomb when he’d had his seizure. Had he known about this? How had he known about this?

Luna saw Phi’s distress and frantically called K and Quark over to cabin two. K also inspected the cylinder and agreed that it was probably a bomb. While Phi, K and Luna stood watch in the cabin to make sure no-one tampered with the bomb, Quark rushed off to the infirmary to tell the others. It was only a couple of minutes before Quark returned, leading the rest of the players into the crew quarters. Once everyone had examined the bomb, there was one awful question on everyone’s minds.

Had one of the other players planted this bomb? People warily watched each other; everyone’s fears coalesced into a tense silence.

The only thing that could be done was to start investigating the bomb. To get people on the right track, Phi started off. “It doesn’t look like it has a timed detonator. There must be a remote somewhere.”

Alice said, “It’ll probably use an active button or switch of some sort, not a dead-man switch. My guess is that whoever planted it would want to avoid an accidental detonation. That means that if we can get the switch, we should be safe.” Phi wondered how Alice was so confident in her judgment, and whether or not that confidence was related to her and Clover’s secret, but it was a good point which Phi agreed with, so she let it stand.

Sigma asked, ““Who was the first person to find this?”

“I was,” Phi replied, “Luna and I had come to help search this area. When I found it and showed the other people searching the crew quarters, K confirmed it was a bomb. That’s why we sent Quark to fetch you.” Phi pondered what she had just said, and then asked, “Actually, K, that’s a question. How _did_ you know it was a bomb?”

“I have… seen it before. I’m not sure when, or in what context.”

“Because of the amnesia?”

“Yes…” K trailed off.

Dio scoffed. “Are you kidding me? Still going on and on about that amnesia bullshit? Besides, we don’t even know it’s a real bomb. Are you gonna tell me that guy who can’t even remember his own name knows a bomb when he sees it…”

Alice cut him off. “No. K is right. That’s a bomb. I’m sure of it.”

Once again, Alice was far more confident than she had any right to be. “How do you know?” Phi asked warily, “You sounded pretty sure about the switch, too. How do you know all this?”

Alice sighed. “Let’s just say it’s an occupational hazard.” When Phi opened her mouth for another question Alice interrupted her, “I can’t tell you what my occupation is.”

“Spare me the bullshit!” Phi yelled, “This isn’t the time to be keeping secrets!”

Unfortunately, Alice thought it was. She clammed up, and motioned to Clover to do the same. Rather than explaining how she knew this stuff, Alice only added, “Don’t worry, it should only have about as much power as one ton of TNT.”

“A ton!” Dio yelped, “How, exactly, should I ‘not worry’ about that? That’s enough to blow up a ten storey building!”

“True,” Alice replied calmly, “but it’s a lot less powerful than an atomic bomb. We don’t know how big this place is. If we can get far enough away from the bomb, we might have a chance of survival.”

K spoke up, “Perhaps, but… How do we know this is the only bomb? Look at it carefully. It’s got a number three. Do you see it? If the bombs are numbered, then there may be a number two bomb and a number one bomb. There’s no way to know if this is the final bomb either. There could be a fourth, or a fifth…”

Everyone took in this horrifying idea. After a short pause Dio made a suggestion. “W-We can’t just sit here and do nothing. We should move it… somewhere…”

As Dio reached for the bomb, Alice smacked his hand away. “No! Don’t touch it!” Once Alice was sure Dio had stopped, she explained. “This bomb is here because someone planted it! Do you really think they didn’t rig it to go off if some idiot tried to move it?! We’ll just have to leave it be for now. Until we can find the detonator or figure out how to turn it off…”

Tenmyouji spoke up, seizing on Alice’s statement. “Do you know how to turn it off? Spill the beans, lady. How do we turn the damn thing off?”

“There should be an emergency deactivation password. If you enter that password, the device should, well, deactivate. You see that port, at the opposite end from the number? If we can find the password input device, we just connect it there. Then we can enter the password.” So there was a chance to survive, even if it was a slim one.

 

Now that the details of the bomb were fully understood, the conversation turned to finding out who had planted it. “Who could do something like this?” Luna asked faintly.

“I have no idea,” Alice answered, “But we can find out when they did it.” She turned to Sigma and Phi. “When we searched this room, we didn’t find the bomb. So that means it must have been planted after we left.”

Sigma said, “But when we all checked the Chromatic Doors, all nine of us were there. And after that, we’ve all been around other people. There’s no way any of us could have snuck off to plant it.”

“I don’t know about that,” Phi replied immediately, “After we finished the AB Game, we all split up. If someone placed it right then, as we were deciding what rooms to search, they could easily have gotten away with it.”

Clover turned on Sigma, asking, ““You, know, I don’t remember seeing you around, Sigma. What were you doing?”

Was it Sigma who had planted the bomb, as Clover was suggesting? Phi couldn’t quite believe it. Sure, Sigma had had that… premonition… of the bomb, but that didn’t mean that he was the one who planted it. When Phi considered the way Sigma had ‘just known’ that the bomb was going to appear, and compared it to the way she had ‘just known’ Sigma’s name, they were uncomfortably similar. There was something strange going on here, but it didn’t mean Sigma was the culprit. Phi didn’t – no, wouldn’t – believe that Sigma was the culprit. And so, even as the other players glared suspiciously at Sigma, Phi didn’t mention the strange things he had said in the AB Room.

It was a strange feeling. Had Phi really just chosen to trust someone? She guessed she had.

Sigma exploded with defensive anger. “This doesn’t make any sense! Any one of us could have been in here! Why am I the only one under suspicion?

“Also, also! There’s no way to know the culprit here is actually one of us! Maybe there’s someone else in here, and they set up the…”

Even though Phi trusted Sigma, she couldn’t let him make a point that could obscure the true identity of the culprit.

“Impossible,” Phi cut him off, “There’s no way that would get past Zero. And there’s no way Zero would let anybody do something that would get in the way of the game going forward.”

“Um. When you say ‘Zero’, you mean the AI, right?” Luna asked.

“This is confusing. From now on, let’s refer to the Real Zero, the human behind all of this, as ‘Zero Sr.’ Which would, of course, make the AI ‘Zero Jr.’” K said.

With that sorted, Phi continued, “Anyway, whichever one it is, they’re not going to let a tenth person in. There’s no way.”

“What if the tenth person is Zero Sr.?” Sigma suggested desperately.

“I don’t think it could be,” Clover said, “Zero Jr. said Zero Sr. was one of us. Besides, why would Zero Sr. need a bomb? He can already kill all of us with the bracelets.”

 

It was an interesting point, but the nine of them were out of time. Luna, who had withdrawn to the back of the group while Phi and Clover interrogated Sigma, suddenly gasped. “O-Oh no! This is bad. Press the buttons on your bracelet!” They only had four minutes before the Chromatic Doors opened.

The players raced away from the cabin where the bomb remained, making it down to the lower floor just in time to see the three Chromatic Doors open invitingly.

“Chromatic Doors have opened. Five minutes remain until Chromatic Doors close.”

Phi immediately took charge. She had been mulling over the new set of colours in her head and, once again, had calculated the only three possible options:

Option A:  
Phi went with K and Quark through the Blue door.  
Alice went with Tenmyouji and Dio through the Red door.  
Clover went with Sigma and Luna through the Green door.

Option B:  
Phi went with Sigma and Luna through the Red door.  
Alice went with K and Quark through the Green door.  
Clover went with Tenmyouji and Dio through the Blue door.

Option C:  
Phi went with Tenmyouji and Dio through the Green door.  
Alice went with Sigma and Luna through the Blue door.  
Clover went with K and Quark through the Red door.

The moment Phi had finished explaining, Alice started talking. “I should decide this time. I think I deserve it. After all, I only have one BP left. Doesn’t it seem fair to let the people who are at greatest disadvantage choose? Wouldn’t you agree?”

Quark pointed at Tenmyouji. “That means Grandpa should get to choose too. I mean, he’s only got one BP too, right?”

Tenmyouji patted the kid’s head warmly. “You’ve got a point. But how about we listen to what Alice wants first?”

Alice took that as a cue to continue talking. “I want the green door. I want to go with K and Quark.”

“I don’t mind that,” Tenmyouji said.

“Wh-Why?” Clover asked, “That means we go through the blue door together; that means you’ll be playing against me in the next AB Game. Are you really, really sure?”

“Matter of fact, that’s why I want to go with you. You said you didn’t trust me, right? I’d like to change your mind. I figure this’ll give me the chance.”

Luna spoke up, softly but clearly. “So, Option B, then? What about the rest of you? Is that okay for you?”

 

This would be Phi’s last chance to oppose that option. She realised that this option would mean that she would go through the red door with Sigma. Much as she had felt earlier that she trusted Sigma, she wasn’t quite sure she could. She had never needed to trust anyone before. This was her last chance to back down.

Phi grasped her mother’s broach once again and ran her finger over the engraved words. ‘Elapsam semel occasionem non ipse potest Luppiter reprehendere’: ‘Not even Jupiter can find a lost opportunity’. Phi knew she was on the verge of squandering the most important opportunity of the game so far.

The question was, which opportunity? The opportunity to escape the vulnerability of trusting someone? Or was it instead, the opportunity to trust?

Gripping the broach firmly, Phi made her choice.

 

 **Choice:**  
**A) Object**  
**B) Accept**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_We've hit a branch point, so go ahead and vote in the comments for whether or not you want to start the true route yet._

_One thing I should point out with this chapter is a place where it slightly disagrees with the Zero Escape wiki. The wiki says that Dr. Klim was primarily a scientist in genetic engineering, while here I've had Luna describe him as a computer scientist. Of course, he's accomplished in both fields, so I don't think there's much wrong with emphasising the one over the other if it strengthens the themes of the upcoming routes._


	53. The Uncanny Valley

_The vote was 4-1 against the true route. Here we go!_

* * *

“No,” Phi stated firmly.

Heads turned her way. The rest of the players were set on Option B; they were surprised by Phi’s sudden refusal. But Phi wouldn’t change her mind. She couldn’t bring herself to trust Sigma. There was just something… off… about him, something Phi couldn’t place. He moved like he didn’t fit in his own skin; his puerile demeanour was annoying. And now… he had somehow known in advance that an antimatter bomb would be found. Phi couldn’t trust him.

Alice frowned. “Why not?” When Phi didn’t answer – there was no way Phi could explain what was wrong to the other players; it was far too strange – Alice grunted irritably.

Before Alice could say or do anything else to Phi, however, Luna stepped in between them. “This is bad…” she muttered under her breath, but then continued with a calm, steady voice, “Which door do you want, then, Phi?”

Phi thought quickly. If she was going to escape being forced to go through with Sigma, she would have to suggest something that was as acceptable to as many people as possible. Phrased like that – an acceptable choice, not an ideal one – it was obvious. “The blue door. Me, K and Quark.” At least this choice didn’t have anyone going through with someone who had betrayed them.

Alice didn’t back down, but the tension in the air was cut when Tenmyouji nodded. “Fine by me,” he said, “Like I said, before, there’s something I want to talk to Alice about.”

This distracted Alice from her anger at Phi. “Are you going to tell me what this thing is?”

Tenmyouji scratched his chin thoughtfully. “That’ll have to wait. Talk to me again on the other side.”

Luna, her peace-making so very nearly successful, nodded at Phi then asked Alice, “So you’re fine with this, Alice? With Option A, I mean.”

“Do whatever you want. I don’t care.” At least it wasn’t a refusal.

They had succeeded in settling on one option, but Phi could see that Luna couldn’t let herself leave anyone unhappy. “Are there any other objections?” Luna asked the group of players. Fortunately, there weren’t any. “Okay, that’s it then. Let’s go, everyone!”

It was just in time. As Luna finished saying that and the three trios of players turned to head towards their respective doors, the announcement played: “Ten seconds remain until Chromatic Doors close.” Phi joined K and Quark in the alcove behind the blue door only a second before the door closed.

“Phew!” Quark exclaimed, an exhilarated grin on his face. It seemed he didn’t realise how close they had come to dying; the danger was just fun for him.

The sensors, glowing with deep blue light, quickly finished scanning them. They had the right three bracelets so the secondary door opened and allowed them into a winding corridor. Quark took off excitedly down the path, though Phi noticed that his youthful energy was significantly lower than before; Quark pulled away a lot slower than Phi had expected. Still, Quark was running while Phi and K were walking, so he soon disappeared around the corner.

Before Phi could follow Quark, K placed his hand on her shoulder. “Phi. I have to ask: why is it that you chose not to go through the red door with Sigma back there?”

“Is it any of your business?”

“Ah, of course not.” K sighed, the vocal distorter in his helmet making that breath sound weirdly monotone. “Still, there are only the nine of us here, and we are playing a game for our lives. Everything is capable of becoming everyone else’s business at any moment. Sigma and you seemed perfectly happy working together last round. If something has happened since then, perhaps it would be better to let everyone else know so that we can deal with it.”

Phi deflected K’s inquiry. “I just don’t trust him. That’s why I chose not to go with him. That’s all.”

K chuckled as an affectation. “I’m flattered by your vote of confidence.  After all, you chose to come here with Quark and me.”

“Leave it!” Phi snapped. She turned away from K and marched down the corridor. Hopefully K would get the message: she didn’t want to talk about it. Whatever it was about Sigma that made her nervous, she couldn’t put it into words.

They caught up with Quark at a dead end. Though there were three doors leading off the chamber the corridor ended at, all in different directions, all were clearly and firmly locked. Quark was staring vacantly at the centrepiece of the room: a lever very similar to the one that would be used to open the Number Nine Door.

“So, Quark, have you had a look at this lever yet?” Phi said.

Quark spun around, surprise on his face. It seemed he hadn’t realised Phi and K were there yet. “Oh! Miss Phi, Mister K! You caught up quickly!”

They really hadn’t.

Quark continued, “I haven’t really had a chance to look at it much, yet. What do you think it does?”

K spoke up. “Whatever it does, it is clear that Zero intends us to pull it. There is no way back through the blue Chromatic Door, and any way forward ends up here. So I suggest we do as we are meant to, and pull the lever.”

“Are you sure?” Phi asked, frowning, “What if Zero’s set up some sort of trap?”

“If Zero Sr. has, then we have already fallen for it.” K pulled down the lever.

As the lever returned to its original position, Phi was sure nothing had happened. But then a holographic plaque sprung into being at about head height on the door to their left. Phi read its display: ‘B. Garden.’ Just as soon as the players had had enough time to take in the message, the door unlocked and rose smoothly into the ceiling, taking the holographic plaque with it.

“What’s the ‘B’ mean?” Quark asked.

“No idea,” Phi replied, “The only way we’re going to find out is to go in.” With that said, Phi entered.

 

As she crossed the threshold, Phi was struck by a sheet of bright white light. As her eyes adjusted to the glare, Phi took in the soothing sounds of falling water and the natural smell of wet grass.

Quark, entering behind her, voiced Phi’s thoughts. “Are we outside? Did we make it outside?!”

Phi looked around, starting to make out the details of the garden they had entered. Opposite the entrance, straight in front of her, was a cliff face made up of irregularly but artistically stacked boulders, from the top of which streamed a steadily gushing waterfall: the source of the sounds Phi had heard. Phi’s eyes followed the meandering stream – formed as the water trickled to seek a way out of the pool at the base of the waterfall – around to the right where, after following the path of a wood panel walkway, it disappeared around behind a healthy and sturdy-looking zelkova tree.

“No…” Quark murmured glumly, “We’re not outside. The sky’s all wrong.”

Phi looked up, following Quark’s pointing finger. Now that Quark had mentioned it, Phi could see that the sky looked amiss. For one thing, its vibrant blue colour was too uniform, only fading to a lighter blue just above the cliff face. There was not a single cloud visible in it. And then, Phi noticed the condemning detail: there were faint cracks between what had to be hexagonal panels making up this fake sky, descending all the way to the horizon.

This room had promised the experience of the natural world. But it was fake, all the way to the core. Phi shivered.

“Very perceptive,” Phi replied to Quark. He had, after all, noticed the artificial sky first.

Quark frowned at her, and tilted his head. “Perceptive? Um… I guess so. But… I mean… it’s _blue_ …” Phi didn’t know what to make of that. Eventually, she figured that Quark was just referring to how overwhelmingly perfectly blue the sky was: that was a clear sign of its unnaturality.

K entered shortly after Quark. Looking around, he remarked, “Ah. An indoor garden. I believe the ‘B’ on the doorplate referred to ‘Botanical’. Certainly, a controlled environment such as this one would be useful in the study of botany. I wonder why this facility has such a garden, though.”

Having taken stock of the new room, Phi started looking around for components of the puzzle. Both the exit door and the safe were right by the entrance; unfortunately, opening either wouldn’t be that easy. Above the safe was a square chrome panel with a strangely shaped indentation in it, but Phi couldn’t see how to use it or what it would do. The room was so expansive that finding anything else wouldn’t be possible from where Phi was standing. She’d have to go in deeper.

The three players took the wooden walkway towards the waterfall. In front of the waterfall was a wooden bench. Phi took a metal rod that was lying on top of it and examined the end. She had hoped that it would be related to the chrome panel above the safe, but the attachment at the end was a completely different shape: it was an octagon instead of the weird butterfly-like shape that the previous indentation had been.

 On the right of the waterfall was some sort of control panel. There were three round red buttons arranged in a row along the top of it, completely unlabelled. Phi wasn’t going to mess with it until she had at least some idea of what it did.

Phi turned right to see Quark lugging a shovel out of a drafty wooden shelter – the structure imitated the sort of rain shelter you’d need in a garden where rain was actually a possibility – and though Quark struggled with the shovel, since it was nearly as big as he was, he eventually got it all the way out and presented it proudly to K and Phi. “Hey! We get to dig stuff up! Like treasure hunters!”

“Hold on, Quark,” K said, “We can’t go digging up everywhere. If we get mud everywhere, we may cover a clue we need. If you find a hint to where you are supposed to dig, then you can have a go at it.”

“Okay! I’ll look around,” Quark replied.

“Besides,” K continued, “You missed something important while focusing on that shovel. See here?” K bent down, the joints in his armour twisting unnaturally to accommodate the motion. When he stood up again, he held a tiny bronze key in the palm of his gauntlet.

Quark hung his head sheepishly. “Oh. I guess I did. Can I still keep the shovel?”

“Oh, of course, yes. Perhaps you could think of this as a learning experience,” K replied.

Past the shelter, the path expanded into a wide courtyard. The players would have to split up to cover more ground. Quark started peering at a noticeboard, while K started examining a flower pot on the opposite side of the courtyard; Phi walked past them and continued all the way to the end of the walkway. She passed the pond that the stream drained into and a flower bed, but neither appeared to have anything useful, so Phi turned to face the absolute end of the walkway.

There was another bench there, though this one had no interesting items resting on it. The device opposite the bench was far more intriguing. A simple pair of scales was placed on the centre of a smoothly varnished table. Each pan of the scales contained a single item: a small but sharp kitchen knife on the left, a gold key identical in shape to the bronze key K had found on the right. Phi pocketed both. The set of scales also had a drawer embedded in the front. Phi slid it open and retrieved a piece of metal. Both ends were familiar. The closest end was an octagon shaped spike, perfect for fitting into the end of the metal rod; Phi snapped them together with a precise, satisfying motion and locked the two pieces into one complete device. The other end had a protrusion shaped exactly like the indentation in the chrome panel above the safe. Phi saw exactly what this completed metal rod was used for: it was a lever for operating that panel. Phi was just about to go back over there and give it a go, when…

 

Beep!

Phi jumped. That loud noise had come from just behind her.

Beep! Beep!

And again! The harsh beeping was continuing insistently. Phi seriously hoped it wasn’t another bomb. Even if this hypothetical second bomb wasn’t quite as ridiculously overpowered as the antimatter bomb upstairs, it would still easily kill Phi at this distance.

Beep! Beep!

It sounded like a bomb, sure, but it sounded like a cartoon bomb. Real bombs were not so obnoxiously loud. Phi was sure enough of that. She had seen enough in her time.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Phi finally turned around.

K stood there, on the other side of the pond, holding quizzically in his hands a large pole and examining the metal coil that sprung from the end. He waved it around in front of his face curiously. “Phi… what is this thing, exactly? I am sure I have seen one before, but… ah. I have forgotten. Why does it keep beeping at me?”

Beep! Beep!

“K. That’s a metal detector.” Phi sighed.

“A metal detector?”

“Pass it here, already. Before it drives us all mad.”

Beep! Beep! Beep!

K tossed it over to Phi and she caught it agilely. The beeping mercifully stopped.

“Yes, K, a metal detector,” Phi explained, “It was detecting metal. The metal in your suit, to be exact. Perhaps it would be best if you didn’t come within five metres of this thing from now on.” Phi could still hear the echoes of that infernal noise resounding in her ears.

“Oh, my! I believe you are right, indeed. How embarrassing!”

“Where did you find this, anyway?” Phi asked.

“Right here.” K pointed at a granite tablet behind himself. “It was resting on this gravestone. Do you want to have a look? I believe you should.”

K stepped aside so Phi could approach the gravestone without bringing the offending metal detector too close to him. Phi knelt down in front of it, and read the epitaph.

‘Tu fui, ego eris.’ What you are, I was. What I am, you will be.

Appropriate for a gravestone, Phi figured – she was familiar with the morbid connotations of that phrase in Latin – but disturbing, none-the-less. Normally, gravestones at least displayed some benign reference to the person buried there; this one only showed that melancholy sentence.

There was something else strange about the gravestone, as well. In the bottom right, etched into the stone, was a keyhole. Phi took out the gold key she had found atop the scales, but the merest comparison to the keyhole showed that the key was far too small: the gold key was not the right key.

“Oh! What is that?” K asked from behind her. “Is that…? Ah, I was right. The last key in the set, most likely.”

Phi turned around to see K holding out two similar keys: the bronze key he had found earlier and a matching silver key. She tossed him the gold key; as K had said, the three of them were likely to form a complete set.

“I found the silver key under that flowerpot,” K said, pointing, “but, having guessed that a gold key was needed to complete the collection, I was frustrated to be unable to find it. Thank you, Phi.”

“You find anything else around there, before you decided to pick up the metal detector and scare me half to death?”

“Not particularly. There was this coin…” K handed over a yellowish coloured coin; Phi felt the cold metal in her hands, and it became quickly apparent that the coin wasn’t pure gold or even mostly gold because it was too hard. “… inside the remains of a bell pepper,” K continued, “but the rest of the vegetable patch looked completely ordinary. If there is anything else there, I couldn’t find it.”

“Okay,” Phi said. Then, a thought struck her. “‘Inside the remains of a bell pepper’? Show me.”

K pointed out a halved and de-seeded yellow bell pepper lying by the side of the vegetable patch. There was a dramatic indentation where the coin had been forced into the core of the pepper.

“Maybe the other vegetables here also have coins in them. I bet this bell pepper was left here as a clue so we’d realise that,” Phi suggested.

“But there are so many of them!” K exclaimed. Despite the artificiality of the garden they had been grown in, the plants were flourishing, with many tomatoes and cucumbers growing off each stem of their respective plants and probably many onion bulbs as well under the soil.

“We… no, _I_ , can use the metal detector to find them.”

“I’ll let you get on with that,” K said, “It looks like Quark is having some difficulty digging.” K pointed past the Zelkova tree, where Quark was enthusiastically but inefficiently hacking at the surface of the soil with the shovel. With a wave, K walked around the path to join the boy.

 

Phi got to work on the vegetable patch. Carefully moving the metal detector over the plants, Phi zeroed in on three different vegetables that elicited a reaction. Phi took the tomato, onion and cucumber that contained metal and deftly sliced them open with the kitchen knife. As expected, she found three coins inside: red, white and green, to go with the yellow one. Once all three coins had been removed from the vegetable patch, the metal detector stopped reacting to anything there. Phi was done.

Phi turned away from the vegetable patch to see Quark lugging a silver box from the zelkova tree to the courtyard, while K took the shovel and started to dig up a raised mound located on the inside of the tightest meander of the stream. Once Quark had deposited the silver chest in the centre of the courtyard, he looked up at Phi.

“I’m not really much use here, am I?”

“What makes you say that?” Phi asked.

“Well, I really wanted to have a go with that shovel, but I couldn’t get it into the ground at all. Mister K had to dig it up for me. I bet both of you just think of me as like the tag-along kid, right? You just wanna keep me out of trouble.”

“It’s not like that,” Phi said woodenly. Quark’s morose expression was worrying. “You just have to find stuff you can do, things that aren’t too difficult before you grow up.”

“Nah, that’s what Grandpa’s always saying. He always lets me help out with his job, too, but I never find the stuff he’s looking for, either. I guess I am useless.”

Quark was interrupted when K walked past, carrying a bronze box identical in shape to the silver one. It was already clear that the boxes matched the tiny keys: their keyholes were even exactly the right size for them. “Quark, do you want to unlock the boxes for us?” K suggested. It seemed he had overheard Quark’s worries.

“Um… maybe?” Quark replied, “Actually, I’m not feeling very well. Can I just lie down for a bit?” Quark stumbled away from the courtyard and slowly sunk onto the bench by the waterfall. He slid sideways tentatively until he was lying horizontally on the wooden seat, then curled up into a ball, murmuring gently to himself.

“There’s nothing we can do for him until we can get back to the infirmary,” K stated, noticing Phi’s worry, “We have to continue solving the puzzle.” Having said that, K left the keys next to the boxes and continued on to the flower bed next to the gravestone, which he started to dig up.

Phi placed the bronze key into the keyhole of the bronze box and gave it a quick twist. The lid sprang open. The only thing inside was a torn scrap of paper with a pair of red dots and a line on it. Then Phi opened the silver box as well, for another piece of paper.

K returned with the final, golden, box in hand. He placed it at the end of the row formed by the other two. As K started to open the golden chest, Phi remembered the lever she had constructed for operating the chrome panel by the entrance and exit doors. Now was as good time a time as any to try it out. Holding the metal lever firmly in her hands, Phi returned along the wooden walkway, stopping along the way to gingerly tussle Quark’s hair as she passed the bench he was sleeping on. When she arrived back at the entrance, she placed the end of the lever in the slot in the chrome panel; it fit perfectly.

“K!” Phi called out, “I’m about to turn this thing. Be ready!” When K was ready, Phi turned the lever.

The entire garden was plunged in nocturnal darkness. Phi could barely see in front of her face; only the silhouette of the lever let her keep herself oriented. She could also see K’s bulky shadow across the garden.

“Did anything happen over there?” Phi shouted.

The reply came. “I don’t think so… Wait! Aha! Fluorescent coloured stars have appeared in the stream bed. Please, give me time to memorise them.” Phi waited as K’s profile moved around the botanical garden, examining shapes on the bottom of the riverbed that Phi couldn’t see from her position. Eventually K called back, “I am ready. Please, turn the lights back on.”

 

Phi did so. The blinding, glaring, uniform light returned to the fake sky. Phi looked quickly around. K stood on the river bank, his stance still as he had been when gazing at the stream’s bed. The ornate chests behind had all been opened; the pieces of paper retrieved from each one had been lain across the lids of the boxes. Nothing else in the botanical garden had moved at all.

And Quark was nowhere to be seen.

The bench, where he had been resting earlier, was completely empty. Phi spun around, searching for the slightest hint of motion. But there was nothing to be seen. Quark had vanished. Quark had been feeling ill, and now he was missing. Whatever had happened, it couldn’t be good.

“Quark! Quark!”

There was no response.

“Quark!!” Phi roared desperately.

Only K was there to reply. He had also noticed Quark’s absence. “Phi! Quark cannot have left the garden. You realise that, correct? The only doors in and out of here are right where you are standing. If he did not pass you, then he is still in here! We need only search for him.”

They did so. There was enough foliage around that Quark could have conceivably been hidden behind some of it. Phi’s eyes instinctively snapped up to the branches of the zelkova tree. But there was no way Quark could have gotten up there: even if the boy had been perfectly healthy – rather than the disquieting unwellness he had been suffering from when he had needed to lie down – there were not enough low branches on the tree for him to climb up. Nor could Quark be hiding behind the tree: K was almost directly opposite Phi and between them their vision perfectly covered the tree.

Phi left the wooden pathway, trampling her way through the unmowed grass and towards the vegetable patch. The plants there were easily tall enough to conceal a small child. But once she arrived she saw that the neat, regular rows of plants made hiding their impossible; she could see clearly between the rows and it was obvious that Quark wasn’t there.

Opposite her and out the corner of her eye, Phi saw K testing the rocks that made up the cliff face, presumably searching for a way Quark could have climbed over them. He wasn’t having any luck. It seemed that the boulders had been stacked by Zero with the very intention of limiting the players’ movements. Quark couldn’t have climbed the cliff face.

Phi’s vision swept across the rest of the botanical garden, searching for any other places Quark might be hiding. There were vines running up the right hand wall, but they hugged the wall so closely that there was not nearly enough space behind them. Opposite the vines was a scraggly bush, right in front of the point where the boulders of the cliff face ended and the fake sky first reached the ground. There was some space just behind the bush, between the boulders and the fake horizon. That looked more promising. Phi strode up to the bush and…

“Goddammit!” Phi swore as she kicked her way through the last remaining possible hiding place.

“Keep your hopes up, Phi,” K commanded, “There must be somewhere else in here that he is hidden. As we continue to solve the puzzle, more secrets of this garden will continue to be revealed. Was that not your experience with the earlier puzzles? Quark may be revealed if we continue to solve the puzzle.”

 

K was right. They had to remain calm. There couldn’t be many pieces of the puzzle left. If they solved everything… they’d know the truth, one way or another. The metal lever was used solely to turn the lights on and off, to see the stars on the river bed. The coins… Phi had no idea what the coins were for. So the only things left were the pieces of paper taken from the gold, silver and bronze boxes.

Phi returned to the courtyard and examined them. The tears along the three pieces of paper perfectly matched each other. Phi reassembled them into a complete sheet of paper: the red dots formed three spate columns with one dot in each row. Phi oriented the sheet so that the lines formed an arrow pointing from top to bottom. Where had she seen something that looked like that before? The intense dread corrupted Phi’s thinking process, slowing it down to nearly complete uselessness. But then Phi realised.

The control panel by the waterfall! Three buttons, three columns of dots. Both the buttons and the dots were red. And the control panel was so close to where Quark had disappeared: it had to mean something. Phi approached the control panel with trepidation. She arched her finger out and pressed the buttons in the order indicated by the sheet of paper.

The waterfall stopped.

As the fine mist of water-spray cleared away, Phi was finally able to look into the alcove behind the waterfall. Quark lay there. He wasn’t moving, but from the faint movements of his chest, he was still breathing. He was okay.

“See?” K said as he picked up Quark and placed him back on the bench, “We only had to open up this alcove to find Quark. Once we get out of here, we can take him back to the infirmary.”

Phi sighed with relief. “So… getting out of here. What are we supposed to do next?” The only thing they could do for Quark was to solve the puzzle as quickly and efficiently as possible. Phi peered into the alcove and saw a metal panel embedded in the rock face. Engraved into the surface of the metal were four round indentations, perfectly sized to match the coins Phi had found in the vegetable patch. The holes were separated by ‘less-than’ symbols. “Looks like we have to insert the coins in a certain order. If it was just the red, green and yellow coins, I’d have guessed like a traffic light, you know, following the spectrum of the colours’ wavelengths. But the white coin nixes that.”

K suggested, “Perhaps there is some other spectrum the coins vary along.”

Phi cast her thoughts outwards to try and work out what determined the coins’ order. Though she had looked at it for only a few moments, there was only one possible device in the room that could possibly determine the order. The scales: the coins must be ordered by weight.

Phi didn’t have enough time to run all the way to the other side of the garden to use the scales; she would have to do this by feel. She took the coins and arranged them in her palms. Now that she was paying attention, she keenly felt how their weights varied. After assuring herself that she had sensed the weights correctly, Phi placed the coins in.

The moment the last coin had settled in place, the panel flipped open. On the other side was a bright screen, displaying a grid of vividly coloured five-pointed stars.

“Ah! I believe this is my turn,” K said.

Phi let him past and K lowered his head so that his helmet was right in front of the screen. He raised his finger and tapped five of the stars with a quick rhythm. As he finished, the screen turned green and the safe password appeared. The puzzle had been solved, and not a moment too soon.

“Phi, could you please open the safe? I feel I should prepare Quark for transport back to the top floor. He may be unconscious, but that is no reason to neglect his comfort.”

Phi memorised the password and rushed over to the safe. She hastily typed in the code and, as though reacting to her urgency, the door sprang open. Phi rummaged through the contents. First, there was another map, this time showing the second floor: ‘Floor B’. Phi could see that the rooms on this floor were arranged into four groups, corresponding to the three Chromatic Doors, red, green and blue, as well as another large room – presumably another warehouse – and other rooms behind it that couldn’t be accessed until one of the puzzles was solved. Under it, two Ambidex Keycards, this time showing an image of a crescent moon rather than a sun; Phi quickly pocketed them. There were two other pieces of paper in the safe, but neither of them looked relevant; Phi could always come back later to examine them, once Quark was safe. Finally, Phi picked up the key to the exit door.

K approached, cradling Quark in his arms. “I intend to immediately go back the way we came,” he said, “but that way won’t be unlocked until we officially solve the puzzle by opening the exit door. Will you do the honours?”

Phi obeyed, placing the key in its hole and smoothly turning it. The exit door opened, but K and Phi gave it not a second’s thought; K strode straight past it and back out through the entrance, carrying Quark with him.

Phi made to follow him, but just before she crossed the threshold she turned and regarded the botanical gardens one last time. What was a place like this doing here? The entire idea of such a deceivingly unnatural facade freaked Phi out – though she wouldn’t show it, even when alone – and Quark’s collapse and near-disappearance only served to reinforce those feelings. Was Zero Sr. trying to tell them something by including this artificial ‘garden’ in his game? And if so, what?

The answers to those questions wouldn’t be found there. Phi turned and left.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

 


	54. Second Response

Phi chased K back towards the elevator shaft, catching up with him – he was burdened with Quark – just in time to take the same elevator car up. They didn’t talk; adrenaline still rushed through them, stifling their voices.

Just as they stepped out onto the upper floor, an announcement played over the speakers. “An Ambidex Gate has been opened. Forty-Five minutes remain until Ambidex Game polling closes.”

Normally, an announcement like that would have been of great concern: an encroaching time-limit constraining their options. But as it was, Phi took the announcement with relief. It came as proof that at least some of the other players had already escaped their rooms. Phi could only hope that they could aid Quark.

K took the lead out of the elevator and headed straight for the infirmary. Phi followed. When they arrived, K laid Quark down in the furthest bed from the door, then sighed.

“Now that we’re here, I believe we should check Quark’s vital signs,” K said, “I would have done it myself on the way here, but… ah, I’m unfortunately unable to read a pulse or check his breathing rate while wearing this armour.”

“Sure,” Phi replied instantly, “You should go and fetch whoever it was that opened the Ambidex Gate. If it was Tenmyouji’s group, he deserves to know. If it’s the other group, Luna has a medical license. She might be able to help Quark more than we can.”

“I understand.” K turned away and left in the direction of the warehouse.

Phi leaned over Quark and placed her fingers calmly on his jugular. The pulse was slightly slow, but present and strong. The steady rising and relaxing of Quark’s chest confirmed that he was still breathing. Quark didn’t appear to be in any immediate danger.

 

The moment Phi was finished, Tenmyouji burst into the infirmary. He roughly barged Phi aside, not even noticing her presence, before leaning over Quark and shaking the boy’s shoulders desperately. “Quark! C’mon, kid! Get ahold of yourself!”

Tenmyouji’s frantic motions didn’t help: indeed, it could only be harming Quark further to be yanked around like that. Fortunately Clover, who was next into the infirmary, stopped him.

“H-Hey! What are you doing?!” Clover exclaimed as she tugged on Tenmyouji’s shoulders, “He’s sick, and we don’t even know what’s wrong with him! What if you’re making him worse?!”

Tenmyouji’s shaking arms gradually wound down till they stopped. He looked Clover in the eye, the beginnings of tears forming in his own. “Then what am I supposed to do? I have to save him.”

By then, all the other players had arrived: K had returned, leading Sigma, Luna, Alice and Dio behind him. The gravity of Quark’s situation was immediately clear to all of them.

Except Dio. “‘Save? That seems a little extreme. Maybe he just has anaemia or something?”

Tenmyouji glared at Dio furiously. “No, that’s not it,” Tenmyouji growled, “I know him better than any of you. He doesn’t have anaemia. He’s never just… collapsed before.”

Dio shrugged. “Well then. Call an ambulance and stop freaking out about it.”

“You son of a bitch! This is serious!” Tenmyouji clenched his fists at Dio, but didn’t do anything.

Phi glanced at Luna. “The infirmary seems pretty well equipped. There are plenty of diagnostic tools, so we should be able to find out what’s wrong with Quark.”

Clover tilted her head to one side. “Huh? Without a doctor, there’s not going to be much we can do with them.”

“It’s alright,” Phi stated, “Luna has a medical license.”

Luna held her hands up in front of her face bashfully. “Um, well, yes, but…”she stuttered.

Tenmyouji wheeled around and held out his arms pleadingly. “You have to take a look at him, then! Please! Quark needs your help!”

“Okay. I’ll see what I can do.” Luna gently motioned Tenmyouji aside, then switched on a machine right next to Quark’s bed. “I think this machine is a medical scanner. It’s called an ‘ADAM’. It uses nuclear magnetic resonance imaging…”

Phi interrupted. “I don’t want to rush you, but the sooner the better, Luna. Just let us know if you need anything.”

“Of course.” Luna retrieved a scanning attachment from its storage slot in the ADAM, then waved it precisely and thoroughly over Quark’s body. Once she was done diagnosing Quark she stared at the screen, turning deathly pale as she read the results. “I… I know what’s wrong with him. I feel so terrible saying this, but… Quark has an infection. A viral infection. Radical-6.”

So the newspaper had been telling the truth. There was no way to get around it. Even if the ADAM was also lying, it was too much to believe that Quark had coincidently succumbed to another debilitating disease.

Tenmyouji sunk to his knees beside the bed. “Quark can’t be… There must be something we can do! How can we cure him?!”

Luna read the results of the ADAM once more, double-checking everything it said. “The ADAM says that there’s an anti-viral serum called Axelavir. It’s the only way to counteract Radical-6. If we can inject him with some, he should… he should be okay.”

“Where is it?!” Tenmyouji yelled, “Shouldn’t it be in the infirmary somewhere?” His face swung quickly between Dio and Luna, the two people still conscious among those that had first explored the infirmary.

Dio shook his head. “We looked around, but we didn’t see anything like that.”

Tenmyouji cut him off. “I don’t trust a damn thing you say! I’m asking Luna!”

“I’m sorry, but…”                                  

Tenmyouji let out a primal yell and scrambled over to the medicine cabinet opposite Quark’s bed. He rummaged through it, quickly taking in all the words on the labels. None of them were ‘Axelavir’. He turned back to the other players. “Damnit… What about the other rooms?”

“In the archives?” Sigma spoke up, “No, that was just piles and piles of books and papers. Nothing even remotely like medicine there.”

Then K described the botanical gardens he and Phi had explored. “I’m terribly sorry. There was nothing of the sort in the garden. Plenty of vegetation, but, unfortunately, no medicine.”

Sigma gestured awkwardly. “Look, just to be sure… Tenmyouji, Dio, Alice, where did the three of you go?”

“The pantry,” Dio replied, “There was tons of food everywhere, but Axelavir? None of that.”

Tenmyouji collapsed against the wall and slid down to the floor. “Then Quark’s… he’s going to… Oh God no…”

 

Before anyone could console Tenmyouji, Luna spoke hesitantly. “Quark?” The boy was standing stiffly beside the bed, a weary and vacant expression marring his once cheerful face.

Tenmyouji recovered instantly from his grief, leaping up from where he had sunk and joyfully crossing the room towards Quark. He shouted, “Quark! Oh, thank God! You’re awake!”

That joy didn’t last.

“Get away from me!” Before anyone could react, Quark yelled inhumanly. His hands swept up purposefully, and Phi suddenly saw that Quark clenched a scalpel between them, the blade aimed directly towards his own chest. “I’m sorry Grandpa,” he muttered, “I have… have to… I have to escape. Like this!”

Quark drove the scalpel in towards himself. Phi didn’t react in time; she was frozen by shock. Sigma was not. He leapt across the intervening space and grabbed Quark’s hand at the last moment, throwing them both across the bed. Quark struggled, his entire body shaking furiously under Sigma’s grasp, but though Sigma was old, he held on tight.

It took the others a moment to realise what exactly had happened, but before long Phi, K and Dio were also restraining Quark, and with the pressure relieved from Sigma he was able to force the scalpel all the way away from Quark, Alice knocking it safely out of his hand. Quark’s shouts were getting increasingly shrill and frantic, and it was clear that Quark would not calm down. There were only two possible ways this would end. One was not tolerable. The other…

“Luna! Are there any tranquilisers in here?” Phi asked, “Hit him with some!”

Luna arrived next to her wielding an injection gun. After an intense effort to immobilise Quark’s leg, Luna struck, injecting the contents of the gun into the thigh. After a few agonising seconds Quark relaxed; he soon fell mercifully unconscious.

Luna checked the screen of the ADAM once more. “Respiration, blood pressure, brainwaves… Everything’s normal. According to these readings, he’s in a very deep sleep. He should be alright for now.”

“What about the anaesthetic?” Phi asked, “How long will it last?”

“He shouldn’t wake up for a few hours,” Luna replied.

Dio started pacing about the infirmary, flexing his arms. “Man, he sure was strong for such a little guy.”

Luna explained, “I think that might be the virus’s fault. It probably attacks the part of the brain that governs reason. Without anything to hold it back, his body was using every ounce of strength he had.”

“So when Quark tried to kill himself, was that because of Radical-6 too?” Clover asked.

Luna agreed that it probably was. She asked the others if they had heard anything about Radical-6. One by one, they explained that they knew only that which had been explained by the newspaper article found in the infirmary, until…

 

Tenmyouji gasped. “U-Uh… What are you doing?”

Phi turned around and saw what Tenmyouji was reacting to. Alice stood right in front of the exit door, which had opened behind her; she stood stiffly and with an empty, hollow expression that was all too reminiscent of Quark’s. In her hand was clenched the scalpel she had taken from Quark. Phi was hardly the only one who had noticed; the seven players formed a wary semicircle around Alice, all of them staring at her. None of them could bring themselves to speak first.

“We’re going to die…” Alice muttered.

“Huh?” Luna took a step towards Alice, but Alice’s right arm twitched, the tip of the scalpel moving ever-so-slightly upwards, and Luna froze.

“We’re all dead already…” Alice continued, “Only terrorists would resort to biological warfare like this… But they will… soon.”

“Hey, what the hell are you talking about?” Dio asked exasperatedly.

Alice’s voice dipped to a soft, breathy whisper. “You don’t understand?” Then, her entire face contorted as her mouth gaped opened to its fullest extent. Alice roared, “All of humanity is going to _die_! The virus will spread! Adults! Children! Everyone! _Everyone!_ There won’t be anyone left! I’d… I’d rather die here!”

For a moment, Alice didn’t move. It seemed as though her outburst had ended.

Then Alice took a single step back. The door closed in front of her; only the rapid, echoing footsteps gave any indication of Alice’s flight.

Alice had gone, taking the scalpel with her.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._


	55. Return to the Uncanny Valley

Sigma was the first out of the infirmary after Alice, pausing only to allow the door time to automatically open before him, but Phi wasn’t far behind. She broke into a ferocious sprint, only to be brought up short when she caught up with Sigma. He was standing frozen at the intersection between the exit to the infirmary and the corridor that connected all the upper floor rooms; both doorways were closed, blocking sight in both directions.

“Sigma! Which way did Alice go?!” Phi asked forcefully.

“Agh! I don’t know which way she went,” Sigma replied.

“You don’t know?!” Phi groaned, “You were closest to her! You should have kept up.”

As she said that, the rest of the players emerged from the infirmary, Dio at the head. “You lost her?!” Dio blurted out as he saw them standing there. The other players, seeing Phi and Sigma standing still, also slowed down; all their momentum had been squandered.

Phi took charge. “Let’s split up and look. Quickly! She can’t have gotten too far.” Phi scratched her chin, trying to think of the best strategy should one of the players find Alice. “Look… if you find her, it’s best not to shout or anything. Just… do your best not to provoke her. Understood?”

 

They did. Phi broke into a sprint, going left. If Alice had gone to the elevator, she could escape into the labyrinthine lower floor. They would need as many players as possible to catch her. It appeared that the other players agreed with Phi. Sigma disappeared off into the lounge, but Clover, Luna, K and Dio joined Phi in the elevator and they took it down together.

Clover was shaking. “Please… please… we’ve gotta find her. I don’t know what I’d do… without her.”

Luna took Clover’s arm and held it tenderly. “It’ll be okay, Clover. We’ll find her. We’re all working together on this, right?!”

Phi and K nodded. Dio shrugged.

“See?” Luna said, “We’re all going to help you find her.”

The elevator doors opened, and the players spilled out. Phi saw Luna go left through the green door and Clover head right towards the red door so she took the remaining option, darting straight forward through the blue door, letting her adrenaline carry her along. As she reached a corner in the corridor, a door automatically opened in front of her where she hadn’t expected it. Phi vaguely remembered that the map had marked it as a shortcut allowing the teams that had gone through the green and blue Chromatic Doors back towards the elevator. Phi hadn’t taken that shortcut earlier – she and K had been too concerned with getting Quark back to the infirmary to explore the area behind the B. garden – but there was no reason why Phi couldn’t take that shortcut now.

Phi charged down the shortcut and found herself in another warehouse. This warehouse looked similar to the warehouse on the upper floor, but there were several key differences that Phi took in at a moment’s glance.

This warehouse had no AB Rooms. Where the AB Rooms had been on the upper floor, there were three doors that glowed from within with subtle white light: most likely, they were Chromatic Doors.

Where the Number Nine Door had been on the upper floor, there was a similarly shaped door that was different in every other regard: blank instead of labelled, unadorned instead of having an attached lever, rusted into obscurity instead of menacingly polished.

Finally, on the wall to Phi’s left was some blood-red graffiti, inscribed in the same style as the graffiti upstairs. It was much longer, and Phi didn’t have time to read it.

The reason why Phi didn’t have time was that Alice wasn’t there.

Apart from the Chromatic Doors and the shortcut Phi had entered by, there were two other doors out of the warehouse, on the left beside the graffiti. Phi ran towards them. Only one of them opened, so Phi continued on through it.

 

Phi sprinted down yet another winding corridor. If her special awareness was correct – there was no reason to believe it wasn’t – this corridor was circumscribing the area of the botanical gardens. That meant Phi couldn’t expect to see any doors off it until she reached the exit of the gardens; given how close that exit was to the entrance to the gardens, it would probably be at the very end of the corridor. Phi picked up the pace.

After rounding one more corner, Phi reached the door she was looking for: the exit to the botanical garden opened for her as she approached. There was one other door that opened, almost opposite the gardens, but having a choice between the two of them Phi decided to go to the room she knew. Phi skidded to a halt and entered the gardens once more.

As Phi took in the fake horizon once again, she felt a tingle race down her back. There was something not quite right about this place. It tried so hard – too hard – to pretend that it was real, and then some out-of-place detail, like the cracks between the ceiling panels, or the too-regular arrangement of the boulders in the cliff face, or the steadily gushing waterfall that appeared to receive its influx of water from nowhere-at-all – when had that waterfall been reactivated, again? – some out-of-place detail would shatter that illusion.

Phi couldn’t let that bother her. Her priority was to search for Alice. Just as it had been easy for Quark to vanish earlier and difficult to search for him, it would be difficult to find Alice if she was concealed here. At least there was not enough room for Alice to fall behind the waterfall as Quark had. Just as she had when searching for Quark, Phi blundered through the vegetation trying to cover every last possible hiding place. Alice wasn’t there.

But someone else was.

“Luna!” Phi yelled, “What are you just sitting there for?”

Luna was sat calmly on a bench, facing away from the doors and staring into the distance at something only she could see. Her hands were folded in her lap, holding on to the ornate cage at the end of Luna’s golden necklace. As she heard Phi’s voice, Luna turned her head.

“Oh! Hello, Phi!”

Phi slammed her hand roughly onto Luna’s shoulder from behind. “What are you doing, Luna?! We’re supposed to be searching for Alice right now. Have you seriously just given up?”

Luna bowed her head slightly. Her smile was smaller than it had been before, but it was still present. “I’m sure Alice is okay. Actually, I know she is okay. One of the other players has to have found her by now.”

“No,” Phi stated, “You can’t know that. Until you’ve actually seen her, you can’t say whether she’s alive and dead. And until you know, you should be putting in as much effort as possible to find her. We have to maximise our chances of getting her out of this alive!”

“I… really don’t think we can do any more,” Luna stated, “Look at it this way: there’s only one other room on this side of the facility. That is the archives, which Sigma, Clover and I explored earlier. Remember? You should have seen the door into it on your way here?”

“Yeah…” Phi said cautiously.

“That’s the room I came through to get here,” Luna explained, “I’m sorry, Phi, but Alice wasn’t there. She’s not here. She’s not anywhere around here. I just… have faith that the other players are looking their hardest as well, and that one of them will find Alice wherever she is. Until then, there’s nothing more we can do.”

 

Luna… was right. There was nothing more either of them could do. Phi felt the coursing adrenaline drain out of her; all of the weariness it was holding back arrived at once. Phi staggered sideways exhaustedly, only keeping herself upright by supporting herself on the back of Luna’s bench. Phi wheezed as her breath deserted her; all of her body reacted to the end of the search by bowing out together.

When Phi recovered her bearings and wits, she raised her head to see that Luna had returned to gazing into the distance. She didn’t appear to have moved at all since Phi had entered. “Um… Luna…?” Phi started.

“This garden is amazing, isn’t it, Phi?” Luna whispered sweetly.

“Umm…” Phi focused her gaze in the same direction as Luna’s, trying to perceive whatever it was that so enamoured Luna of the botanical gardens. Phi found nothing. All Phi saw was the same creepy flaws she had always seen; having focused so intently on that creepiness, another shiver ran down Phi’s spine. “Really?” Phi asked Luna.

“Yes,” Luna replied firmly, “This is the only place I’ve seen in here so far where I feel I could ever relax.” Luna let out a contented sigh, lengthy but genuine. “When I sat down here, I wasn’t surrounded by fear and pain and death anymore. In this garden, we are surrounded by nature.”

“Nature?!” Phi scoffed, before she could stop herself. Having started, she might as well continue. “Luna… this garden isn’t in any way natural. Not at all. It’s not even just cultivated nature. It’s completely manufactured from the ground up.” Phi took Luna’s hand and pointed it at one of the least convincing panels of the ‘sky’. “See there? The way it’s reflecting and warping the light like that? Something really, truly natural… wouldn’t do that.”

Luna turned her head away. “But it’s better that nothing. Please, at least say it’s better than nothing.”

“No,” Phi stated instantly. Seeing Luna’s dismayed expression, Phi sought for a way to explain. “Luna… did that Artificial Intelligence expert you said you worked for…”

“Dr. Klim,” Luna supplied.

“Yeah, him. Did he ever tell you about the uncanny valley?

“See, there was this roboticist, Masahiro Mori. Unlike some other roboticists, who wanted to design robots for industrial applications or for exploration, Mori wanted to build robots that looked like and interacted with people. He made that his life’s work.

“During his early work, he found that the more human-like features and behaviours he added to the robots he was designing, the more the people he showed them to liked them. The more human, the better. So Mori kept working, finding more and more ways to make his robots human.

“But eventually, Mori found that people became disgusted by the robots he was making. His absolute best, state-of-the-art humanoid robots were less liked than less human-like robots he’d designed ages ago. Hell, his most human robots were less popular than robots that didn’t have any human features at all.

“So he did some research, and found that this effect didn’t apply to just robots. Anything at all – robots, cartoons, statues, CGI, kid’s toys – at first, the more human features you add, the better it is and the more people like it. But sooner or later, you’ll add too many human features without adding any actual humanity. Then everyone’s empathy for it drops like a chasm: that’s the uncanny valley.

“It’s a survival mechanism. Many threats look normal at first glance. For most of them, first glance is already too late. That’s why the subconscious focuses on any details that are out of place, to catch out the imposter before they can do any damage. Let’s just put it like this:

“Human beings just aren’t capable of accepting things that are nearly human but aren’t really human.

“So, that’s that,” Phi concluded, “That’s what this garden is like. It’s like a garden, but…”

“Phi, stop!” Luna interrupted sharply. She took a deep unsteady breath, then continued, “I… I know what the uncanny valley is.”

Phi turned her head away. “Oh. Sorry. You should have said.”

 

Luna stood up. “Can we, um, talk about something else now? Please?”

“Sure,” Phi replied.

“Okay. You were one of the people who opened up the gardens, right?”

Phi nodded.

Luna acknowledged the nod, then continued, “Thank you Phi, for that, for opening here up, even if you don’t agree with me. But anyway, what I was thinking was, since you and K went back upstairs pretty hastily to get treatment for Quark, you probably didn’t look around here as much as the other teams explored their rooms.”

“We looked around a decent amount,” Phi said, “Quark wandered off shortly before he fell unconscious, so we had to search the entire room looking for him.”

“Ah!” Luna pointed her finger in the air. “But you probably didn’t look in the safe very thoroughly. I guess you just took the key from it as soon as you got the safe open so you could get Quark out.”

“That’s… right,” Phi admitted. She considered Luna’s statement, realising that neither her nor K had explicitly mentioned their frantic dash back from the garden to any of the other players. Sure, it was obviously possible for Luna to have deduced what had happened, but Phi made a note of Luna’s uncanny insightfulness none-the-less.

Luna continued, “I think it would be worthwhile if you were to have a look at everything else.” She smiled at Phi, expectantly.

“Sure.” Phi turned back to the safe. She didn’t have to recall the password to get it open again: in her and K’s rush to leave they hadn’t bothered to close it. Phi knelt down and fully opened the door. As she remembered, there were two pieces of paper that she and K had neglected.

Phi took the smaller piece of paper – more of a scrap, really – and read it. She flipped it over. The other side was blank. Phi flipped it back over. “‘IG = Immunoglobulin’,” she read aloud, “That’s it. Yeah, _that’s_ useful.” Scowling, Phi scrunched the little strip of paper up into a ball and dropped it casually into the stream.

Luna wandered a distance downstream of Phi. She bent, scooped the ball of paper out of the water, unfolded it, and deposited it neatly in the nearest bin.

Phi then turned to the other sheet of paper. Hopefully, it would be more informative than the previous one.

It was, to an extent. There was a complex, tangled diagram printed on it in bright blue ink. Phi tried to make as much sense as she could out of it. The diagram appeared to consist of a single arrow, entering the sheet from the bottom. The arrow failed completely to go straight: instead, it darted between five nodes, arranged in a column, in an order that seemed almost random.

Phi examined the nodes first, since at least they were labelled. The closest to the bottom, and also the first that the arrow reached, was labelled ‘A: Nevada Test Site.’ Phi knew Nevada pretty well, even the more clandestine parts, and was certain…

For just a single moment _, Phi was no longer holding the strange diagram but instead another sheet of paper. This one was titled ‘Nevada Test Site,’ and as Phi quickly scanned it she saw that it was a finely detailed blueprint. Then the moment passed;_ the blueprint was gone and the tangled diagram was back in her hands.

…that there was no such Test Site anywhere in Nevada. So what had that blueprint been? It had to just be Phi’s active imagination. She’d seen the unfamiliar label and her mind had dredged up a context for it.

Phi continued reading the labels of the nodes of the diagram. The next three were just letters – in order ‘E’, ‘D’ and ‘B’ – but the final node was labelled, ‘C: Rhizome 9.’ Again, that was a label with no meaning for Phi – though at least it didn’t cause some momentary stupid hallucination like ‘Nevada Test Site’ had – but the word ‘Rhizome’ seemed familiar to Phi.

“Hey, Luna!” Phi called out. When she had Luna’s attention, she asked, “You probably know more biology than I do. Can you explain what a ‘Rhizome’ is, for me?”

“Well, it’s not human biology,” Luna replied, “but I’ll do my best. I think a rhizome is an underground part of a plant. Both roots and shoots can grow off it, so it is really very versatile.” Then, Luna paused. “Um… Phi, are you really sure that’s the intended meaning of the word? I mean, rhizomes aren’t normally numbered. And…” Luna peered at the diagram over Phi’s shoulders. “If ‘Rhizome 9’ is a label like ‘Nevada Test Site’ is, then maybe ‘Rhizome 9’ is supposed to be a place.”

“I’ll have a think about it,” Phi stated.

“Maybe you’d be better off following that arrow around?” Luna suggested.

Phi did so. The arrow entered from the bottom and headed straight for the ‘Test Site’, but just before it reached that point, it darted off to the left. The arrow detoured around points ‘D’ and ‘E’ and didn’t rejoin the centre column until point ‘B’, at which point it carried on up the centre to ‘Rhizome 9’. The path the arrow took continued in the same vein, occasionally acting as though it would continue straight along the centre, but then swinging out wildly before rejoining the centre at whatever node it felt like.

But the situation got really interesting when the arrow finally reached point ‘E’. Then, to Phi’s surprise, the arrow split in two. The first, heading vertically, acted much like the rest of the arrow, veering away just before it reached node ‘D’, then heading back to ‘Rhizome 9’ where it ran vertically off the diagram. The other arrow was different: it shot off horizontally, as if abandoning the rest of the diagram entirely.

“I can’t make heads or tails of this,” Phi muttered.

“Well, don’t worry,” Luna said gently, “I think all you need to do is remember it. If you do, I’m sure you’ll understand it eventually.”

Phi folded up the paper and slipped it into her pocket. She wasn’t sure that she would remember it; keeping it close to hand was the next best thing. Now that it was empty, Phi closed the safe. They wouldn’t need to look inside again.

 

Phi was about to leave, but then she recalled one of the more intriguing aspects of the botanical garden. By the pond that the stream drained into, there was a gravestone. Apart from having found the metal detector leaning against it, the gravestone had played no role at all in escaping from the botanical garden. There had been a keyhole, but no key.

“What do you make of this?” Phi asked Luna, pointing out the gravestone and its keyhole. She explained how it hadn’t been used at all during the puzzle.

Luna approached the gravestone and knelt down before it respectfully. “‘Tu fui, ego eris,’” she read the epitaph. “Phi, do you know, yourself, what that means?”

“Of course. ‘I was you. You will be me.’ It’s a Latin proverb about the inevitability of death.”

Luna nodded. “That’s right. I think it must have an important saying to whoever is buried under here.”

“Are you sure someone is buried under that thing?” Phi asked, “It would hardly be the only thing here that’s not what it looks like.”

Luna shivered slightly and turned her head away. “I… guess you’re right. But still. If that phrase isn’t a real epitaph, then it was probably engraved by Zero Sr. If the phrase is important to him, then it might be a good idea to take note of it, anyway.”

“Sure,” Phi replied. Then, she pointed out the keyhole more insistently. “But seriously, what do you think about this keyhole? Do you think there’s any way to get this gravestone open, or something?”

Luna sighed. “I think that if there was a key for it in here, you, K or Quark would have found it.”

“Okay,” Phi said with resignation, “I’m going to head back to the infirmary now, see if anyone else found Alice. Coming with?”

Luna shook her head slowly. “I… think I want to stay here for a while longer. I…” Luna turned her head away from Phi. “I have some things I need to think about. You should go on ahead. I’m sorry.”

Phi stood up and strolled over the grass towards the doors. Just before she crossed the threshold, she turned and looked back at Luna. Luna hadn’t moved a muscle. She still knelt there, head bowed over the gravestone. Phi, for a moment, imagined she could hear a muffled sound coming from Luna’s direction, but then it faded away.

Phi left.

 

Phi wearily stepped out of the elevator back on the upper floor. Her search had been fruitless. She could only hope that the other players had found Alice. Phi walked around the corner onto the corridor outside the infirmary. As she stepped forward, she saw Sigma staggering lopsidedly towards her.

Phi shouted, “Sigma! What the hell are...” but then Phi saw that Sigma had Alice draped over his right shoulder. From her subtle movements, it was clear Alice was still breathing. “Alice! Sigma, you found her.”

“Yeah,” Sigma replied woodenly. There was something seriously off about him. He didn’t seem to show any of the relief that he should have been feeling. Sigma as Phi knew him – as he’d been acting earlier – shouldn’t have been able to conceal his emotions like that. It was as though, at this point in time, Sigma’s emotions had taken a vacation.

Sigma took another step forward. As he did so, he started to topple over; he shot out his left hand to brace himself against the wall. Once Sigma had Alice’s weight back under control he carried on. He removed his hand from the wall.

Phi froze in fear.

There, where Sigma’s hand had been, a dash of white fluid had been smeared on the wall, glowing unnaturally in the dim light. Phi knew, just looking at it, that the white fluid hadn’t been there before: it had come straight from Sigma’s hand. Phi watched Sigma closely as he passed her, and noticed that he had clenched his left hand into a tight fist and was holding it away from her.

All Phi’s suspicion of Sigma now made complete sense. He was hiding something.

Phi followed Sigma back into the infirmary just in time to see Sigma laying Alice down on the bed beside the ADAM; once again, the moment Sigma’s hand was free he closed it and concealed it.

Tenmyouji was already in the infirmary with, of course, Quark, and Dio was there as well. After a short while, K returned, then Clover and finally, after another five minutes, Luna returned.

Luna, after noticing Alice lying on the infirmary bed, headed straight to the ADAM without acknowledging the other players at all. There were hints of red around her eyes, but they were hidden from view as Luna bowed her head over the ADAM’s screen. After about a minute of waving the scanning attachment over Alice, Luna turned around and raised her voice.

“Please pay attention, everyone! You need to hear this. The ADAM has finished scanning Alice. Her results are identical to Quark’s. She has also been infected with Radical-6.”

There was a short, strained gasp from Clover. “Oh no… No! What going to happen to her?!”

“Well, like I said before,” Luna said, “there’s only one way to cure Radical-6. The special anti-viral treatment Axelavir.”

Clover ran up to Alice’s bed, only barely able to keep herself standing beside it. “No… No… Oh Alice… I don’t want you to die! Please… You can’t die! I don’t want to be alone.”

 

Clover couldn’t grieve for long. Only moments after she had started, an announcement played and cut short their time. “Ten minutes remain until Ambidex Game polling closes. All players please enter you votes. If no vote is recorded before the deadline has passed, all non-voting parties will automatically ally.”

Dio sauntered towards the yellow door. When none of the other players followed, he beckoned them with some annoyance. “Uh, guys, I think we should get back to the warehouse.”

“What about Alice and Quark?” Sigma asked. Some emotion had returned to his voice, but Phi remained especially wary of him.

Dio shrugged. “I guess we’re just gonna have to leave them behind.”

“No! I’m not leaving!” Clover shouted as she whirled around, “I’m staying here. Like heck I’m gonna leave Alice all alone!”

Luna muttered, “She’s going to be fine… She’ll be sleeping, just like Quark…”

“I don’t care! I just… I just want to stay with her. She shouldn’t have to be all by herself.”

Dio sneered, then pointed an accusatory finger at Sigma. “Everything’s coming up Sigma, huh? What a lucky, lucky man you are. You’re going to be playing against Clover… whoops, I mean, you _should_ have been playing against Clover. As it is, she’ll default to ‘Ally’. If she stays here, you’re gonna be sitting pretty. All you’d have to do is pick ‘Betray’…”

Dio was right. If Clover stayed in the infirmary, Sigma needed only to press ‘Betray’ and he could escape.

Sigma looked flustered under everyone’s suspicious gazes. “There’s no way I’d do that!” He shook his left fist at Dio.

Sigma’s hand was visible for only an instant, but Phi saw it. There, trickling out of the corner of his fist and dripping down the side of his wrist, was the same luminescent white fluid as before. The constant flow of it didn’t stop; it was coming out of his hand itself like a gush of blood. Sigma suddenly looked at his hand and quickly lowered his fist again, but it was too late. Phi already knew the truth.

Sigma wasn’t human.

With that realisation, everything made sense. Sigma was some sort of robot, so all the unease Phi had felt about him was from the uncanny valley. Sigma had been programmed very well, so Phi hadn’t been able to place the feeling before, but it was the uncanny valley none-the-less. Sigma was some sort of robot, so he was probably connected to – even controlled by – the AI Zero Jr. That explained how Sigma had seen the bomb coming: he must have access to all the cameras in the facility. Sigma was some sort of robot, and now he was about to finish the Nonary Game on Zero’s own terms. Everything made sense.

Sigma continued, trying to pretend as if nothing was wrong. Phi could tell, however, that he was just going through the motions like an automaton. “For one, I’m not the only one making the decision! Luna’s my partner; she’ll be in the AB Room with me. You really think she’d just stand by and let me do something that? Back me up here, Luna.”

Luna shook her head shyly. “Um… Actually, I was planning on letting you make the decision.”

“See? I told you,” Dio said, “You can lie to us all you want, but…”

“Shut up!” Sigma roared.

There was a moment’s shocked silence. Then, K raised his hand. “If I might make a suggestion? What if Sigma and Luna both remained here? Should all three of you abstain, you would all be guaranteed to ‘Ally’, correct?”

“Nope. Doesn’t work like that,” Sigma stated dully. He took out a piece of paper from his pocket and, after saying that he’d found it in the archive’s safe, read it aloud, “‘Hare are some more AB Game rules for you! Not Voting is not an hoption. If both parties refuse to vote, then everybunny will be penalised.’ Get it? The whole team can’t abstain.”

Well. That was awfully convenient for him. Phi wondered if Sigma had made that up on the spot, but there were no objections from either Clover or Luna. Phi then wondered if Zero had made that rule just so that it could be used at this moment by his pawn, Sigma. Unfortunately, given the risk if they didn’t believe the instructions, they had no choice but to continue as if they were real.

Then Sigma pointed out that the rule applied to the other two teams as well. “Alice is guaranteed to vote ‘Ally’. One of Tenmyouji or Dio has to vote, and if Dio picks ‘Betray’…”

“Knock it off,” Dio snapped, “You trying to get back at me for what I said earlier? No way am I gonna choose ‘Betray’. You do know her BP’s at one, right? Oh, yeah, you were responsible for that. Anyway, what do you think would happen to her if I did that?”

“Cool it, boys,” Tenmyouji intervened between Sigma and Dio, “I’m gonna be in that room too. I’d planned to stay here with Quark, just to make sure he was safe, but it doesn’t look like I’m gonna have that luxury. I can’t trust Dio to make that decision for all three of us.”

 

By the time they’d finished discussing that, there were only five minutes remaining. Tenmyouji and Dio were sorted out, and Sigma would brook no more discussion of his participation in the Ambidex Game. The only thing left to do was for Phi to decide what she herself would do about the AB Game.

At first glance, what she should do was obvious: Phi should just go to the AB Rooms. That was the default, and there were so many benefits. Phi would be present if Sigma tried anything; she was forewarned of his duplicitous nature and would be the most ready to restrain him. Plus, Phi would have a little bit of insurance if Sigma did manage to open the Number Nine Door…

But then another idea shot to the forefront of her mind. With so many players not participating, what would happen if Phi was also to stay in the infirmary? Phi couldn’t think of any logical reason to do that – maybe she could help out if there was another problem with Alice or Quark, possibly? – but the possibility remained so salient in her thoughts anyway.

With only minutes remaining, Phi made her decision.

 

**Choice:**  
**A) Remain in the infirmary with Clover, Alice and Quark**  
**B) Go to the AB Rooms to vote**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Disclaimer: The views expressed in this chapter are solely those of the characters and not those of the author. The author does not in any way condone causing cute robot girls to cry._

_With that out of the way, it's now time to vote on whether or not to vote (yay recursive polling!). Looking forward to seeing what you have to say in the comments._


	56. Caught White-handed

_After the tie was broken at the very last moment (Thanks, Voldydoitsu!), we've chosen to stay in the infirmary._

* * *

Phi mulled over her thoughts and settled on a decision. To her bemused surprise, it wasn’t the one she had expected to make. “Time’s running out, people. Clover and I will stay here and keep an eye on Alice and Quark.”

Phi stepped away from the door to let the other players pass. For a moment, none of them moved. Phi glared at them insistently. Finally, the other players started moving, filing past Phi and out of the infirmary. Last to leave was Sigma. He shuffled awkwardly around Phi, clutching his left hand in his right hand conspicuously. Sigma’s determination to hide the inhuman white fluid still trickling from his wound only made Phi more certain that she had made the right decision. Sigma – the robot who had been pretending to be a real person named Sigma – was about to make his move. It was out of Phi’s hands, now, not that she could ever have done much to stop him.

Once only she and Clover were left in the infirmary, Phi let out a deep frustrated sigh. She had to at least do something meaningful – not just stand around waiting for the Ambidex Game to end – or she would go crazy. Glancing with fidgety motions around the infirmary, Phi’s eyes settled on Alice. The incriminating fluid had appeared from Sigma’s hand shortly after he had found Alice. There was a possibility that there would be more evidence of Sigma’s artificial nature and sinister plan on Alice’s body; it was a remote possibility, but Phi wanted to find out everything she could.

Phi examined Alice’s body carefully. At first glance, she looked exactly as she had when they’d first met, albeit asleep. But when Phi turned over Alice’s right arm, she felt a sickeningly slippery liquid on the bottom of the wrist. Phi didn’t need to look to know what it was. It was more of the white fluid.

“Huh? What’s that?” Clover spoke up from behind Phi as Phi withdrew her hand, revealing how the fluid had stained it.

“I’m not sure,” Phi said, truthfully.

Clover came up beside Phi and also gazed at the fluid on Alice’s wrist. She dipped her finger and sniffed it inquisitively. Then, she licked it. “Well, it’s not poison,” Clover stated, matter-of-factly.

“I’m glad you figured that out,” Phi replied.

“How did Alice get that stuff on her hands?” Clover asked.

Phi considered the question. The facts she had available were these: the white fluid had appeared shortly after Sigma had found Alice; the white fluid had stained only Alice’s right hand; Sigma had been determined to hide his nature from the moment it had been exposed.

The conclusion was obvious. Sigma had been cut by Alice when he restrained her. That clearly explained why only Alice’s right hand had been exposed to Sigma’s leakage. She had cut him, trying to resist in a Radical-6-fueled delirium.

Phi inferred two things. First, that Zero Sr. wanted to keep Alice alive: to give the players false hope, to maintain leverage on Clover, for her own sake; Phi didn’t know. Second, the revelation of Sigma as Zero’s pawn hadn’t been intended: the sequence of events that had led to Phi noticing Sigma’s inhumanity depended so heavily on the other player’s actions that there was no way Zero could have planned it in advance.

Phi gagged. Sigma had to have noticed that he had been found out. It would have been obvious enough to a human; it had to be even more obvious to an artificially intelligent computer with access to every sensor in the facility. Therefore, Sigma was certainly going to make his move this round before any other players caught on. Phi had made a horrible mistake.

Phi tensed, ready to race to the warehouse do whatever she could to rectify her mistake. But first, she had to get the unnatural fluid off her hand. Phi leapt over to the sink and let a stream of water douse her hands, removing every last disgusting white trace and sending it spiralling away down the drain.

 

There was a sudden echoing moan from behind Phi. “Alice… you’re…” Then Clover’s voice was cut off by a sharp thud.

Phi jerked her head upwards. In the mirror above the sink, she saw a flash of movement; the mirror was too greasy to make out any details. Phi spun around.

Clover was sprawled on the floor, clutching her hand to her temple. Alice was upright, walking stiffly and mechanically forwards next to the bed she had been lying on. Alice had overpowered Clover and stood up in less than a second.

How had Alice woken up so soon?

“Alice… What are you doing?” Phi asked nervously. The hollow, morbid expression had returned to Alice’s eyes; Phi didn’t think she could talk Alice down, but she had to try. There was no way Phi could restrain Alice by force.

“What I have to,” Alice replied coldly, “If we don’t end this, then we’re all going to suffer. Is that what you want to happen? Really? You want to drag this out and watch as everyone dies slowly from this horrific virus? I don’t!”

Suddenly, Alice’s eyes flicked over to one side. Phi followed Alice’s gaze. Her breath caught in her throat. There, on the counter, was a scalpel all-too-similar to the one which Alice had stolen earlier. At the same moment, Phi and Alice leapt towards the scalpel.

Phi got there first. She didn’t have time to relax: the moment Phi turned around Alice arrived, planting her shoulder into Phi’s sternum and ramming her against the counter’s edge. Phi gasped as her breath was hammered out of her but she stayed standing, keeping her body between Alice and the scalpel.

“Why won’t you let me end this?!” Alice shrieked.

Alice danced back to give herself room to swing her arms then thrust a vicious punch at Phi’s head. Phi got her arms up only just in time. Even taking the blow on her arms instead of her head, Phi felt her head rattle and her vision go blurry. Alice was clearly a well-trained fighter. Only the lack of coordination in Alice’s assault – probably due to the Radical-6 distorting her mind – allowed Phi to keep standing: where any experienced fighter in control of their own thoughts would have aimed their next attack at the torso, Alice continued to target Phi’s head, raining blow after blow into Phi’s clumsy guard.

Eventually, Alice gave up. She backed away from Phi and sternly said, “I’m going to have to do this the old fashioned way, then.”

As Alice turned away, Phi slumped against the counter. She couldn’t let Alice see how close she had come to being overwhelmed. Phi watched, exhaustedly and passively, as Alice walked away. Alice took several steady steps towards the door back to the warehouse. Then, she stopped, ominously.

Right by Quark’s bed.

“Quark wanted to end it, too,” Alice stated. She placed her hands gently, almost maternally, around Quark’s neck. “I can’t do it myself, but I can help Quark. I’m sorry I can’t make this any quicker.” Then, Alice squeezed.

Quark’s body spasmed as it struggled for air. Watching, Phi made up her mind. She had to stop Alice from killing Quark. She had been beaten within an inch of unconsciousness, so she couldn’t afford to take chances. She only had one option. Take the scalpel. Kill Alice, to save Quark.

Phi reached determinedly behind herself. When her hand touched metal she grabbed, hoping it was the scalpel. It was something else: an injection gun.

Phi recognised it as the one Luna had prepared to sedate Alice with: the Soporil Beta vial was still in the chamber. And it was still full. That explained why Alice had woken up so quickly: she had never been sedated in the first place.

Now, Phi had more options. She’d attempted to pick up the scalpel, but what she had found instead was far better. Phi had been prepared to kill Alice, but now she didn’t have to.

As Phi pushed herself away from the wall she fell to the floor; still, she kept the injection gun in hand and crawled across the floor towards Alice. She had to make it in time. After what felt like eons, Phi eventually got within arm’s length of Alice’s legs. She didn’t have time to do the injection precisely, like Luna had with Quark. Phi just aimed for the centre mass of Alice’s thigh, drove the needle in, and pulled the trigger.

Almost instantly, Alice collapsed. It was over.

Phi dragged herself unsteadily to her feet, fretfully checked Quark’s pulse to make sure he was okay – he was – and watched as Clover also recovered. Together they were just about able to return Alice to her hospital bed.

“What happened?” Clover asked.

“Alice knocked you out, beat me up, and tried to strangle Quark,” Phi said succinctly, lacing her voice with annoyance.

“She wouldn’t do that!” Clover exclaimed. Then Clover noticed the tell-tale bruises around Quark’s throat. “No! No… Alice, why would you do that?”

“It’s not her fault,” Phi stated. When Clover didn’t appear at all comforted, Phi continued, “It was Radical-6 that made her do it. Nothing else.”

 

Even as Phi tried to talk to Clover further, her voice was drowned out by an announcement. “Results from round two of the Ambidex Game will now be displayed. Please direct your attention towards the results screen.”

Goddamnit! Phi hadn’t been able to make it to the warehouse. The Number Nine Door was going to open at any moment as Sigma ended the game. Knowing it was futile, Phi turned and raced out of the infirmary.

Only moments later Phi arrived in the warehouse. Her eyes darted toward the Number Nine Door, expecting to see it rising and Sigma walking inhumanly through it.

The Number Nine Door was still shut. No-one was near it.

Phi swept her gaze across the warehouse. She had to find Sigma as soon as possible. He could make his move to trap the players there at any moment. Phi had to stay on guard.

And then, just as Phi’s heartrate accelerated to a frantic unsustainable pace, she found him.

Sigma wasn’t anywhere near the Number Nine Door. He had wandered off in the opposite direction, staring at his left hand like it had hypnotised him.

Finally, Phi looked at the results screen. What she saw there shattered her entire conception of the situation.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

Tenmyouji                       1                            Ally                          +2                         3  
Dio                                  5                                                            +2                         7

Alice                                1                            Ally                          +2                         3

 

Sigma                              6                            Ally                          +2                         8  
Luna                                5                                                            +2                         7

Clover                             6                            Ally                           +2                         8

 

K                                     6                            Ally                          +2                         8  
Quark                              5                                                            +2                        7

Phi                                  6                            Ally                           +2                        8

 

What? Phi staggered backwards, suddenly uncertain. Sigma hadn’t attempted to betray Clover and escape? Why hadn’t Sigma attempted to betray Clover and escape?

Phi had to find out what the hell was going on. Her best, perhaps only, chance was to talk to the person who had been in the Ambidex Room when the vote was made: Luna. Phi sidled up to Luna, keeping a careful eye on Sigma; Luna was still quite near to Sigma, but Sigma looked so distracted by his hand that he wouldn’t notice even if someone barged into the room and yelled right into his ear.

“Luna,” Phi said. When she was sure Luna was paying attention, Phi continued, “What happened in the Ambidex Room? How did you manage to stop Sigma from picking ‘Betray’?”

Luna giggled, then shook her head earnestly. “Oh, I didn’t have anything to do with that. Sigma picked ‘Ally’, all by himself.”

Phi didn’t believe it. Something was clearly wrong with Sigma; there was no way he would just vote ‘Ally’ without something sinister going on. It seemed that the other players had noticed – finally – that Sigma was seriously disturbed. Phi watched as K approached Sigma and shook his shoulder cautiously.

“Sigma? Sigma… Are you alright?”

Sigma didn’t respond, except by tilting his arms away so that none of the other players could see his hand.

Tenmyouji also approached Sigma, a twinge of concern evident in his tone of voice. “C’mon Sigma. What’s wrong? Just say something, already.”

Sigma finally spoke. “Huh? Oh yeah, um…” It took Sigma several long arduous seconds to think of something meaningful to reply with. “We allied with Clover… That’s… great.”

“Sigma. What the hell’s wrong with you?” Tenmyouji snapped.

Dio chuckled. “What happened: you make a pass at Luna and get shot down?”

Dio’s comment reminded Phi that Luna was the person most likely – after Sigma – to have answers about what was going on. As Tenmyouji and Dio continued to interrogate Sigma, to no avail, Phi turned back to Luna and asked, “Luna… did you see the…” Phi wasn’t entirely sure how to phrase her request. “…fluid, on Sigma’s hand.”

Luna was silent for a good long while. She stared intensely right into Phi’s eyes. Finally, Luna answered. “Yes. Yes, I did.”

“You agree it’s weird, right?” Phi stated. Phi took in a deep breath, then with as much confidence as she could muster she announced exactly what she thought. “That white fluid… I think it’s there because Sigma is a robot. I think Sigma is working with Zero to kill us.”

Luna stood there, frozen. She shivered anxiously. Finally, she said, “No. I… I can’t believe that. I don’t believe Sigma would do what you accuse him of doing. Even if he is a robot, there’s no way he’d do anything like that!”

Phi sighed. How could Luna be so naïve? “Look. I get that you want to trust him, but we can’t take risks like that. If Sigma is a robot, then we have to stop him.”

Luna bowed her head glumly. “I can prove it,” she muttered.

“Huh?”

Luna spoke up, “I can prove that Sigma doesn’t mean us any harm. Robots don’t have to be bad people. Please, Phi. Let me try.”

Phi wasn’t sure what Luna meant. “Luna. I’m sure you mean well, but…”

“Please!” Luna interrupted, “Please, let me do this. Go down to the botanical gardens. I’ll bring Sigma down there as well. If you stay hidden there and listen to what we say, then I’ll be able to prove it to you.”

Phi considered her options. “Fine. Sigma can’t do too much damage until the next AB Game, so I’ll humour you. But if you’re wrong, if Sigma is Zero’s tool, then we all need to work together to stop him.”

Before Luna could respond, Phi turned around and marched swiftly away. She passed Dio, K and Tenmyouji, who were discussing how the bracelets had changed. Recalling that the bracelets had reset the moment the Ambidex Game finished, Phi examined her own: she was part of the cyan pair. Apparently, Tenmyouji was her partner; Phi also learned that K and Dio were now the yellow pair.

Phi continued briskly on, heading through the magenta door and towards the botanical gardens on the lower floor.

 

Phi strode through the entrance to the botanical gardens. Compared to the revulsion she had felt when she had got Sigma’s fake white ‘blood’ on her fingers, the strangeness of the gardens was mild; Phi could ignore it.

There weren’t any good places to hide in the gardens, so Phi went out the exit door. Staying still so that the door’s motion sensor wouldn’t catch her and keep the door open, Phi waited for Luna to bring Sigma. She would be able to overhear them from there. Finally, Phi heard voices from the corridor leading up to the botanical gardens.

“It’s not far, now, Sigma,” Luna said encouragingly. There was a hiss as the entrance opened up and Phi could just about hear Luna’s and Sigma’s footsteps as they walked past the door she was hiding behind.

“The gardens…” Sigma muttered.

“You know this place?” Luna asked.

“Yes. Well, sort of. I came here once while looking for Alice.”

That had to be a lie. While they were searching for Alice, Luna and Phi had both arrived in the botanical gardens. Luna had made no mention of seeing Sigma there. Instead Sigma had found Alice in the crew quarters, several minutes away and on an entirely different floor. Once again, Sigma was lying.

Phi expected Luna to call Sigma out, but apparently she preferred a softer touch. “Oh, I see,” Luna said before changing the subject, “Isn’t this nice? This is the only place in the whole facility with anything green. I feel kind of silly saying it, but it makes me think of the great outdoors. I think it’s the perfect place for a serious conversation. Being surrounded by nature makes me feel… happy.” Luna’s voice faded as she was saying that – she must have been moving away from Phi – but Phi could still hear her.

“So… What did you want to talk to me about?” Sigma asked woodenly.

Luna replied. Her reply wasn’t anything like what Phi had expected. “Can I tell you something? This necklace –” Phi couldn’t see it, but she recalled the golden cage that Luna wore around her neck. “… is actually a music box.”

Tinkling music played from inside the gardens for a few seconds, then was cut off.

“It’s a nice song,” Sigma said, “Why’d you bring that up, though?”

Luna sighed, her mellow voice reverberating across the metal wall that Phi was eavesdropping through. “I… wanted you to know, I guess. I wanted you to know more about me. Maybe it’s because I’m so shy, but I don’t really have any friends. Or even any acquaintances, really. I’ve sort of always been alone. I felt so lonely, it felt like I was going to… collapse from the inside out. That was when I got this music box. Someone… very important gave it to me.”

Phi knew exactly who Luna was talking about: Dr. Klim, the scientist Luna had once worked for. Luna had explained to Phi that Dr. Klim had been researching Artificial Intelligence. That research had to be relevant: perhaps Luna was going to bring up Dr. Klim as a way to segue into discussing robots. Phi also had to consider the possibility that Luna had learned something about Artificial Intelligence from her employer. Luna probably knew what she was doing here.

Luna finished her story about how she had acquired her necklace. There was a drawn out pause during which Phi frustratedly expected her to get to the point: bring up Dr. Klim’s name or his research or anything that connected Luna’s rambling with the goal of dealing with the robot that called itself Sigma. Instead, Luna changed tack again. “Sigma, can I ask you something?”

“Um… Sure,” Sigma replied neutrally.

“Where did you find Alice?” Luna asked. Despite Phi’s annoyance with Luna for not getting to the point, she had to admit that Luna was back on track. This was the detail that would catch Sigma out on his earlier lie.

Sigma tried to evade. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Just answer me,” Luna insisted, “Where did you find Alice?”

“Room two, in the crew quarters,” Sigma admitted.

“Where were you before that?”

“I was in the lounge. That was after we’d split up to go look for Alice.”

Phi heard Luna gasp. “So you went from the lounge to the crew quarters, where you found Alice. And the you rushed her to the infirmary, right? Sigma… How do you know about the garden?”

There it was. There was the incriminating detail.

“Well, um…” Sigma’s voice shook as it trailed off.

Phi could hear Luna’s tone become serious. “Sigma. Have you always been here? Are you… are you a robot?”

Phi strained her hearing, desperately trying to hear how Sigma would react to that bombshell. The worst case scenario would be that Zero Jr. having realised that his puppet had been found out, would make Sigma go violent immediately. Phi wasn’t sure they could stop him if that happened. Another possibility was that Sigma would just deny everything and accuse Luna of being crazy.

Instead, Phi heard nothing. It was as if Sigma hadn’t reacted at all.

 

Phi couldn’t just eavesdrop anymore. She had to see what was going on for herself. Hoping that Sigma’s attention was fixed on Luna so that he wouldn’t notice Phi entering, Phi moved. Once the door had automatically opened, Phi sneaked inside.

Sigma was sitting passively on the bench at the far side of the botanical gardens. Luna stood, unharmed, in front of him. Phi approached, making sure to keep the giant zelkova tree between herself and Sigma.

“See,” Luna continued, her voice calm as if she wasn’t in any danger at all, “it would make so much sense if you were. It would explain how you knew about the garden and…” Luna paused, gesturing at Sigma’s left side. “It would explain that cut on your left hand.”

Sigma glanced down at his hand, holding it out so that everyone could see. The white stain was still there, but the fluid didn’t appear to be streaming out as much as it had earlier. “Damn… So you did see it, huh?” Sigma sounded much as he had earlier, not like a robot at all. Phi could only put it down to exceptional programming.

“Yes,” Luna stated. She clasped her hands together. “I’ve been told that robots these days can have what’s called Artificial Biological Tissue, or ABT, on top of their metal skeleton.” Phi guessed Dr. Klim was the source of this bit of information. “It makes them look almost exactly like a human. And ABT uses this white liquid instead of blood.”

Bowing his head, Sigma stood up. He crossed his arms behind his back nervously. “Luna… Aren’t you a little scared?”

“Scared? Why would I be scared?”

“Let’s say I am a robot,” Sigma said, “That means there’s a pretty good chance Zero’s pulling my strings. That would make me your enemy.”

Phi’s jaw dropped. She hadn’t at all expected Sigma to just admit that. Phi peeked around the zelkova tree to observe Luna’s reaction.

Luna didn’t appear fazed at all. “Even if you were, I wouldn’t be scared.”

Was Luna completely crazy?! Did she have no sense of self-preservation at all? How could she stand there so calmly in front of someone who had just admitted that he was working for the person who had kidnapped them – someone who wasn’t even human but just a puppet?

Sigma appeared – or at least his programming made him act – surprised as well. “Why not?” he asked anxiously.

Luna thought for a few seconds. Phi recalled Luna’s passion when she had declared that she would prove Sigma wasn’t dangerous: she was probably planning how to get that ‘proof’. “Maybe because you’re a robot,” she replied cryptically, “Have you ever heard of the Three Laws of Robotics? They were a set of rules created by the Science fiction author Isaac Asimov that he used in several of his stories

“First Law: ‘A robot may not harm a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.’  
“Second Law: ‘A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except when such orders would conflict with the First Law.’  
“Third Law: ‘A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.’”

Having recited those laws, Luna took a deep breath. She concluded, “So that’s why you could never hurt us: because of the First Law.”

Phi scoffed under her breath. Luna’s proof that Sigma wasn’t a threat… was just some little thing written by one science-fiction author? That wasn’t any sort of proof at all.

To Phi’s surprise, Sigma once again voiced her concerns. “That’s just an idea, though. You could work towards that, but I don’t think you’ll ever achieve it. I mean, depending on how you program them, robots could do pretty much whatever they wanted to.”

Luna shook her head. “I believe in them. In you. However you’re programmed, I don’t think you’d break any of the Three Laws. A robot without the Three Laws is just a bunch of metal and plastic. That’s not you. You have a heart. You’re a good person. It’s in your eyes.”

An inspiring speech, but not one that would convince Phi. All of those little details that had Luna gushing could be easily fabricated by whoever had programmed Sigma if they put in enough effort, which the mastermind of the Nonary Game clearly had. Still, the fact that Sigma hadn’t immediately reverted to being a killing machine gave Phi something to think about. Either Zero had some other, more subtle, plan to use Sigma, or it was never Zero’s intention to use Sigma to harm the players, just keep them on the Nonary Game’s tracks.

Phi peeked around the zelkova tree once more. Luna had leaned in close to Sigma; it was clear she was still talking but she had lowered her voice to such a quiet whisper that Phi could no longer hear. Phi needed to hear. She pressed her body against the tree and held onto the grooves in its trunk, allowing her to support herself as she leaned out: getting as close as possible while still staying hidden in the tree’s shadow.

Phi just about caught Luna’s words, “We should run some tests, using the ADAM…”

Then Phi’s hand touched metal.

“Agh!” Phi leapt away from the tree in shock. That metal definitely hadn’t been there earlier. As Phi fell away from the tree she rolled into a crouch, keeping herself mobile.

Both Sigma and Luna called out to her; there was no way Sigma hadn’t noticed her after that yelp. Phi didn’t reply. Her attention was focused entirely on the metal object that had surprised her; it was now exactly at her eye level.

It was another antimatter bomb.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._


	57. LUNA END: Zeroth Law

“Who’s there?!” Sigma called out.

Phi had been caught. There was no way she could continue to hide. Besides, her finding of a second antimatter bomb might arguably be of more importance than the possibility that Sigma was a robot. “Just me,” Phi responded, stepping out from the shade of the tree. “Sorry, but can you guys come over here? I need you to see something.”

Luna and Sigma did so. Phi was just about to show them where the bomb had been attached to the trunk of the zelkova tree, when Sigma asked, “How long have you been here?”

Luna interjected, “Did you… hear what we were saying?” Luna’s underlying message was clear: play along.

“No,” Phi lied, “Were you talking about something you didn’t want me to know about? Whatever. Just have a look at this.” Phi redirected their attention back to the bomb. Once she was sure both of them had seen it, she explained how the number on it proved it to be a different bomb from the one upstairs.

“Who planted them?” Luna asked.

“Was it you guys? You’ve been in here quite a while.” Phi immediately countered. She was still highly suspicious of Sigma. If Zero was the one planting the bombs, then that might explain Sigma’s decision to ally in the last AB Game: the players were doomed to annihilation anyway and it was better for Zero to keep his robot in the facility planting bombs than using him to end the Nonary Game. If Sigma had distracted Luna at any point…

“Hey! Don’t give me that! You’re way more suspicious than we are!” It seemed that turning an accusation back on the accuser was one of the tricks Sigma had been programmed with. “What were you doing behind the tree, anyway?”

Phi weighed up her options. Sigma may have allowed Luna to know his identity, but there was still the possibility that he would get violent if he realised Phi also knew. He may believe Luna to be trickable, but Phi would need a much less subtle response to contain. “I was… taking a walk,” Phi lied.

“‘Taking a walk’? You really think I’m gonna buy that?” Sigma spluttered. There was danger in his rising angry tone. Phi had to change the subject before it went too far. “It could have been any of us who planted the bomb. Anybody could have come here while we were all looking for Alice. We should tell everyone else about this. With any luck, the bad guy’s mask will slip and we’ll know who did it.”

Sigma and Luna agreed and headed out of the B. Garden. Phi let Sigma go first then slipped in behind him. She didn’t know how much it would help, but where Sigma was concerned she wanted to be in the most advantageous position possible.

 

They arrived in the infirmary to find all the other players waiting for them. Alice and Quark were still asleep; Phi’s hands twinged as she looked at Alice. Phi watched as Sigma and Luna explained to the others about the bomb; thankfully, their story didn’t put Phi in a suspicious light, even though she had found it first while skulking around.

“This is bad,” Tenmyouji muttered. He glanced around at the gathered crowd. “What are we going to do?”

“Our best chance is the emergency deactivation password,” Phi stated, maintaining a brave face.

Dio grunted. “That’s great and all, but we need the password input device Alice was talking about. Do you have it? ’Cause I don’t, and we’re still boned without it even if we do find the password.”

Phi scratched her chin, thinking deeply. As she considered the problem, it became increasingly clear that there was only one opportunity to survive. “Yeah,” she replied, “That’s why I want all of you to let me search you. Chances are whoever planted those bombs is in this room. There’s also a good chance they’ve also got the device we need to deactivate those bombs.” It was crude, but Phi was running out of options. If forcing the bomb-planter to reveal themselves was the only way, then Phi had to do it. As everyone glared at Phi, she continued, “No buts. If you refuse, I’ll assume it’s because you’ve got it, and you planted the bombs. Unless you want that, I suggest you co-operate. Clear?”

There was silence.

Then, without warning, Sigma spoke up. “Wait. You only need to search one person.”

“What?!”

Sigma continued regardless. “I figured out who did it. I… I _know_ who did it. I know who set the bombs.” Sigma’s arm swept accusingly across the room before snapping straight to point at a single player. “That person… is you! Dio!”

Phi could only guess at what had happened. Sigma had access to all Zero’s cameras. He had known who the bomber was all along. Faced with Phi’s threat to search all the players – which would almost certainly expose him as a robot – Sigma had chosen to reveal the bomber first.

Thus, Phi believed Sigma.

Dio’s reaction didn’t help him. He staggered backwards blatantly, stuttering, “C-Come on, what is this? Are you high?”

Sigma advanced on Dio sternly. He turned his head towards K. “Sorry, K, but could you hold him down? It’s on him, I promise.”

“Knock it off, Sigma!” Dio screamed, “You’re doing this all backwards. Where’s the evidence that lets you molest me like this!”

“This isn’t a court,” Sigma stated flatly, “Besides, we all want to know who set the bombs. Why are you getting so worked up, anyway? If you’re innocent, a search will show that and I’ll look like an idiot.”

“That’s some bullshit totalitarian logic! What are you even basing this on? How do you ‘know’ I set the bombs?”

Sigma smirked, the first sign of real human emotion on his face since he’d first started to slip. “You see, Dio… I know about the Myrmidons.”

Suddenly, Dio became a flurry of frantic motion. When Phi’s eyes were finally able to focus on him once more, he had backed away to the other side of the infirmary and was wielding a small black device – a detonator – in his hand, brandishing it against the other players. Phi didn’t understand how the word ‘Myrmidons’ had made Dio react so violently, but it was conclusive proof that he was the bomber. Of course, it was also conclusive proof that Sigma knew more than he should.

Dio laughed, gesturing wildly with the detonator. “Well, looks like I won’t be able to talk my way out of this one. Seriously, though, when did we get so famous? The Myrmidons aren’t something anybody should know about, let alone a joker like you.”

Suddenly, a flash of pain struck the back of Phi’s mind. Something was trying to tell her that she had heard the word ‘Myrmidons’ before. Phi forced that thought out of mind. The immediate situation was far more important than entertaining it.

Dio continued ranting. “You got me. Yes, I’m the leader of the Myrmidons. My real name is Left. I was sent here to stop Zero Sr.’s AB plan. That’s why I planted the bombs. If it looked like the plan might actually succeed, I was supposed to blow the place sky-high.”

“‘AB Plan’? What’s that?” Sigma muttered. To Phi, Sigma’s feigned confusion seemed like a blatant attempt to distance himself from Zero Sr.

Still, Dio accepted Sigma’s claim to not know anything about Zero’s plan. “Well, looks like you don’t know everything after all. I should have been more careful. Then again, it’s not like it really matters. You’re going to die here.” Sigma took a sudden step forward but Dio brandished the detonator furiously. “Better not come any closer,” Dio said snidely, “You think I’m not prepared for this? Take one step and it’ll be your last. Back the _fuck_ off.”

Everyone took an instinctive step back at Dio’s command. Everyone, that is, but Tenmyouji. He stepped forwards.

“No,” Tenmyouji said quietly but firmly. He took another steady step towards Dio.

“I’m not screwing around here!” Dio roared.

“I can see that,” Tenmyouji stated. That didn’t stop him from taking yet another step forwards. “Why don’t you do it? Go ahead. Press that button.”

Why was Tenmyouji goading Dio like this? Did Tenmyouji have a death-wish?

But it appeared Tenmyouji had a plan. He spoke confidently, his voice reverberating off the walls. “There’s really something I should tell you. See, that detonator you’re holding… It’s fake.”

Dio froze, glancing at his detonator.

Tenmyouji leapt forwards.

 

Phi couldn’t make out what happened next, but when the action clarified, Dio was on the floor clutching his hand. Tenmyouji stood over him victoriously. He had every right to be; the detonator was sliding harmlessly away from Dio.

Sigma shouted frantically, “Shit! Not good!”

“What happened?” Phi asked. She didn’t understand why Sigma was against Dio being disarmed. Then, the problem became clear. With an ominously cheery beep, a red light sprung to life on the detonator’s edge.

Dio laughed heartily from where he lay on the floor. “You really fucked up, Tenmyouji! This is what happens when you try to show off.”

“What are you saying?” K asked.

Sigma shook his head. “Sorry… This is my fault. I didn’t have time to tell you how it worked. The detonator isn’t supposed to be separated from Dio. If it is, then the timers on the bombs automatically activate.”

“Damn! How much do you know?” Dio asked, alarm entering his voice.

Sigma didn’t answer.

Dio shrugged. “Fine. Whatever. Well, he’s right. If that thing gets more than a metre from me, it activates. When it does, it starts the timers on all the bombs. So thanks to this old fart, you get to try and defuse a bunch of activated bombs on a countdown. Go ahead and destroy the detonator if you want. Now that the timers have been activated, they’ll go off anyway.”

Phi had to make a plan. There had to be some way for them to survive this. “How long do we have? When do they explode?” she asked Dio.

Dio smirked. “You should know, Sigma. Why don’t you tell her?”

Sigma obliged. “Thirty minutes. We have thirty minutes to use the emergency deactivation passwords.”

“None of us know them, though,” K said.

Sigma nodded. “Right, none of _us_ know. But there’s someone here who does, isn’t there? We have to make Dio tell us.”

Dio stared Sigma down, then tipped his top hat with mock respect. “Okay, okay. I’ll give you this one, since I’m such a swell guy. The password for bomb number two is…” Dio rattled out a string of letters so fast that Phi couldn’t keep up. However Sigma, with his perfect computerised memory, appeared to take it in.

Clover spoke up. “Bomb number two? But we haven’t found that one yet!”

Dio laughed. “You haven’t? Oh well, my mistake. Must have slipped my mind. Well, there’s nothing you could do anyway. You don’t have the input device. Really, it’ll be much easier if you all just give up.”

“Where’s the input device?!” Sigma roared at Dio.

Dio just shook his head smugly. “Oh gosh, I wonder…”

“Where did you put the number two bomb?” Phi asked.

Dio’s response was the same obstinate obtuseness. “Shoot, you know, I just can’t remember…” Then his mocking expression faded away into a cold mask of determination. “Anyway, I think it’s time for me to be moving on to the next world.” Dio reached his hand into his pocket and withdrew a small pill. He raised it slowly towards his mouth.

“No!” Sigma dived towards Dio. His arm reached out and forced Dio’s pill away from him, slamming Dio’s hand into the floor. Sigma pinned Dio down, but was shook violently about as Dio struggled underneath him.

“Let go of me, goddamnit! Get off of me! Let me go!” Dio screamed as he writhed about. It was clear that Sigma could only barely keep him down.

Eventually, Phi made a decision. “Luna, go get the Soporil,” she instructed.

“No!” Sigma argued, “If we put him to sleep, we can’t get what we need out of him.”

“You think I don’t know that? What other choice do we have? Every minute we spend wrestling with this prick is a minute that we don’t have to deal with those bombs. We don’t have time for this!” It was already clear to Phi that Dio wasn’t going to give up any more information.

Just because he wasn’t saying anything useful didn’t mean that Dio was quiet. “Do whatever you want to me, you fucking cowards! You’re still gonna die! Go ahead, tell yourselves you can fix it! Run around like idiots before you get blown to atoms! Serves you fucking right! You’re gonna burn!” he ranted.

Phi sighed. “Oh, for God’s sake. Luna, shut him up!”

Luna quickly ran over to the counter and prepared another vial of anaesthetic. After loading it into the gun, she knelt down next to Dio and delivered it into his arm with a smooth precise jab. Dio’s fight quickly left him as the Soporil spread through him. He fell motionless.

Sigma took the pill from Dio’s hand and held it away from himself warily. “Poison,” he said with disgust. Sigma took the pill over to the sink and dropped it down the drain. Once the pill was safely away, Sigma turned back to the others. “How much time do we have left?” he asked.

“About twenty minutes or so, I think,” K replied. He fiddled with his bracelet. “I checked the countdown for the Chromatic Doors when the detonator activated, and it was almost exactly on half-an-hour. That means the bombs will explode when the doors open: that is, in twenty minutes time.”

“What do we do?” Luna asked.

“We put in those passwords and stop the bombs,” Sigma replied.

Clover put her hand on her chin nervously. “We searched Dio, but he doesn’t have anything that might be the input device.”

“Then there’s only one thing to do,” Sigma said, “We split up and find it.”

 

Phi dealt with the practicalities. “Sigma, you come with me.” She definitely didn’t trust Sigma enough to let him out of his sight, and if Dio’s bombs were contrary to Zero Sr.’s plans, then having Sigma and his beyond-human abilities around might be useful. “We’re going to have a look at the number three bomb: see if the timer has really started or not.” The next thing to do was to make sure that their preoccupation with the bombs didn’t stop the players from continuing the Nonary Game. “The rest of you, listen up. I want you to take Alice, Quark and Dio to the floor B warehouse. If we get lucky, we’ll need to get them through the white Chromatic Doors.”

“Understood,” K replied, “Once we’ve done so, we’ll begin to search for the input device and the number two bomb.”

“Good. Thanks,” Phi said, “We don’t have much time left. Now get moving! Sigma, you’re with me!”

Phi quickly hurried out of the exit door and sprinted to the right, not waiting to see if the other players followed her instructions. She had to get to the crew quarters. Behind her, she could hear Sigma’s pounding footsteps as he followed her. Good: he was doing what he was told. That wasn’t surprising – Zero Sr. opposed the detonation of the bombs just as much as the players did and Sigma had been instrumental in Dio’s exposure – but Phi had still been worried: Zero and by extension Sigma were still her enemies.

Phi burst into the crew quarters and headed straight to the cabin with the bomb. What she found there confirmed her fears: a red light had appeared on the bomb just as it had on the detonator. The bomb was armed.

“I guess the countdown has started,” Phi muttered to herself.

Sigma ran in beside her. He glanced at her expectantly

“Hmm… What are we going to do?” Phi said, “Without a way to enter the passwords, we’re screwed.”

Sigma immediately replied, “We’ll have to split up and look for it like the others. I’ll go search the warehouse.”

Before Phi could stop him, Sigma had darted away and out of the crew quarters. There was no way she could catch up with him; Sigma would now roam the facility unchecked. That was one more problem for Phi to deal with. Still, the bombs were more urgent.

After ransacking the crew quarters looking for the input device or any clues to the passwords – with no success – Phi ran out of the crew quarters and back along the corridor towards the elevator. She would have to join the others on the lower floor and help them continue the search. Surely they were doing everything they could to find the input device and disarm the bombs so that all of them could survive.

Phi ran straight into Luna, standing motionless outside the infirmary door.

“Luna!” Phi roared once she’d steadied herself after the collision, “The hell are you doing here! You’re supposed to be downstairs, searching…”

“It won’t work,” Luna interrupted, quietly but firmly.

“Huh? What are you saying?”

“It won’t work,” Luna repeated, “We won’t be able to disarm the bombs in time.”

“We can’t just do nothing,” Phi said, “We can’t just let our one opportunity to survive slip through our fingers.”

Luna looked wistfully through the open infirmary door behind her. Then, she turned her head back and stared deeply into Phi’s eyes. “It’s not the only one. There’s something else we should do. There’s…” Luna paused to glance away again. “Sigma.”

Phi was certain what Luna was on about. It was a risk, but if they confronted Sigma, maybe they could bring all of Zero Sr.’s knowledge and power to bear on the problem. What would then happen afterwards was something Phi didn’t want to think about, but it had to be better than certain death in an antimatter fuelled explosion. All of the other players could search the lower floors, but only Phi and Luna were able to deal with Sigma: a classic case of comparative advantage. Unfortunately…

“I lost him,” Phi said, “Sigma ran off after we checked the number three bomb. He said he was going to check the warehouse, but he could have gone anywhere.”

Luna cut Phi off with a sharp gesture. “He’s coming back: I’m sure of it. He’s coming back to the infirmary. Shall we go in?” Luna led Phi into the infirmary then pointed over to where the privacy screen still stood around the hospital beds that had, until recently, contained Alice and Quark. “Phi… It might be best if I handled talking to Sigma, at least at first. If you hide behind that curtain when Sigma comes in, then you can judge the situation before revealing yourself.”

Luna’s suggestion had been reasonable, just as it had been when Phi had eavesdropped on Luna and Sigma in the B. garden, so Phi complied, ducking quickly behind the privacy curtain. With a deep sigh, Phi settled in to wait.

 

As Luna had predicted, Sigma soon arrived. He stumbled aimlessly in through the door from the warehouse, like he couldn’t quite believe he had come back to the infirmary. He glanced around the infirmary, but his eyes quickly settled on Luna. “You’re still here?” Sigma asked.

“Yes,” Luna replied, “The others have taken the people who are asleep to the white doors. I chose to stay here. I thought you might come back.”

“Why?” Sigma asked.

“Because the ADAM is here,” Luna said, pointing at the medical machine, “I thought you might want to use it. Isn’t that why you’re here?”

Phi pondered Luna’s strategy. Yes, the ADAM would definitively expose Sigma as a robot, forcing the confrontation Phi needed. But it seemed such a roundabout way to do it. Unless Luna was buying Sigma’s claim not to know that he was a robot – and there was no way Phi would accept that obvious deception – she should have just stated it and let Sigma react. Messing around with the ADAM was wasting precious time. Phi was almost ready to walk out and end this façade when Sigma responded.

“Huh? I mean, yeah, I want to know what’s going on with me. It’s driving me nuts. I feel sick! But this isn’t the time for that! Being a robot isn’t going to matter much if I die anyway.”

Luna took Sigma’s left wrist, ignoring the sickly white marks where the fluid had dried on it, and held it gently between her hands. “I see. I seem to have made a mistake. I knew you couldn’t use the ADAM without me, so I stayed behind because I thought I might be able to help. I guess I shouldn’t have done that.” Luna let go of Sigma’s hand, turned away and took a few slow steps towards the exit door.

Sigma thought for a few seconds. Then, he changed his mind. “Wait! I’ll do it!” Sigma sat down on the ADAM and, with a quick swinging motion, spun himself into a lying position.

Luna returned. She took another injection gun filled with Soporil out of her pocket: she must have prepared it beforehand. “Sigma… The ADAM is quite sensitive. If you move too much, it won’t be able to process the results.”

“I’ll stay still,” Sigma said.

Luna shook her head. “I know you’d try, but there’s no way for you stay still enough. Your body would keep making tiny little adjustments. It’s subconscious. That’s why I’m going to need to inject you with some anaesthetic. Is that okay with you?”

Sigma nodded instantly. Phi wondered what the point was: the Soporil was hardly going to work on a robot. Luna injected it anyway. Then, against all Phi’s expectations, Sigma’s eyes closed and his body went limp.

What was going on? Sigma was completely still. There was no way Sigma could possibly have been stopped just by an anaesthetic. But yet, he was still. Phi tensed up, her body instinctively readying itself to act when Sigma reactivated. But he stayed still.

Luna called out for Phi’s benefit, “I’m starting the scan now!”

Phi watched as Luna ran the sensor attachment across Sigma’s body. When Luna was sure the scan was done she carefully placed the scanner back in its holster. She looked over the screen. She took a deep breath.

“Phi… I told you I was going to prove to you that Sigma was on our side. Please, please accept this. You have to.” Luna gestured at the ADAM’s screen.

Phi peeked out from behind the curtain. She stared intensely at the screen. It told her everything she needed to know.

The arms were shown as an inhuman metallic skeleton, surrounded by a wiry web of red circuits and white tubes. They were the source of the white liquid that had seeped its way out of Sigma’s wound. Sigma’s arms were robotic, just as Phi had known.

But the rest of him was not. The rest of Sigma was human. Sigma… was human.

Phi let out a sigh of relief. So much wariness and defensiveness, all aimed at one person: it hadn’t been needed and was all released at once. “So…the white liquid was just from his prosthetics? His arms are replacements, just like his eye is, right?”

“Yes,” Luna replied, “Sigma’s human. He’s not your enemy. He’s never been your enemy.”

“Good.” Phi’s voice came out as a hard gasp. Then the reality of the situation crashed down around her. “Wait. That means he can’t help us with the bombs.”

Luna nodded.

Phi’s breathing rate accelerated. “You mean this was all for nothing! This was a complete waste of time! What the hell are we even doing here?! We should have searched for the password device rather than waste all this time here!”

Luna whispered, “I made a promise.”

“Huh?”

“I made a promise,” Luna repeated, louder this time, “I made a promise to give you proof of Sigma’s true self. I’ve done it. That’s why we were here.”

Phi considered Luna’s statement. As she reflected on it, something struck her as very disturbing. It was almost as if Luna had been planning this from the moment that Sigma had been wounded. “Luna… Are you saying you knew all along that Sigma only had robotic arms?”

Luna looked over to where Sigma lay on the ADAM’s bed. “Yes,” she replied.

Phi was surprised that Luna had been so immediately honest. “How?” she asked.

Luna stepped up to the edge of the privacy curtain. She gaze at Phi intently; her arms folded themselves across her chest as she shook nervously. Finally, she answered. “Because… Phi… I’m a robot. I’m the robot.”

 

All Phi’s tension and preparation returned to her in one great wave. Luna, this artificial thing standing before her, was the enemy she had been ready to fight. Luna had tricked her. She had cornered her. Phi had to act.

Phi leapt towards Luna. She couldn’t afford the time to think; she had to escape now. Phi’s fist struck out towards Luna’s neck. Phi had no idea where the weak spot would be that would give her the chance to escape, so she had to guess.

Luna leaned to one side. Phi’s punch bounced of her shoulder with a painful clang.

Phi had to escape. She had to try again. Her left fist swung forwards, this time aiming completely at random.

Luna moved with – literally – inhuman precision. Yet another injection gun appeared, faster than Phi could possibly track with her only-human eyes. Luna only had to move slightly to drive it into Phi’s outstretched arm.

It was a weaker dose than had been used previously. Phi remained conscious: aware of the situation as Luna moved closer. But she couldn’t react. She couldn’t move her body, even as Luna came closer.

As Phi fell under the weight of Soporil, Luna caught her. Phi felt herself being carried backwards onto one of the beds behind the curtain and laid down perfectly in the centre of it so that her head rested on the bulkiest part of the pillow. Phi could only look up as Luna gazed down on her.

“How could you?” Luna asked, her voice wavering.

Phi strained to raise her body towards Luna. “What?!” she gasped.

Luna placed her head in her hand. It was a surprisingly human gesture. “I tried. I really tried.”

“You lied to me!” Phi shouted. She was sure she had shouted; she would certainly have shouted if it was still possible for her to. “You pretended you were on my side! You’re working for Zero!”

Luna turned away, as if she were ashamed. “I just wanted everyone to get along. I… don’t think you’d believe me if I told you that was what Zero Sr. wanted all along.”

“No,”

Luna shivered at Phi’s words. “Please… just look at what I’ve done so far. I didn’t tell you the complete truth, yes. But I never lied. I never wanted to lie to you. Please. Please, just trust me.”

Phi looked at Luna, hatred filling her eyes. “Never.”

Luna jerked away at Phi’s words. “I… I understand. It’s okay. It has to be okay.” Luna fell back, leaning against the nearest supporting pole of the curtain. “I… I’ve lived here all my life…”

“‘Life’,” Phi spat, throwing Luna’s words back at her, “You don’t have ‘life’.”

“Please, don’t say that. I only wanted you to trust me. Please…”

Phi glared on.

Luna turned her head away. “I understand. I wish this wasn’t how you felt, but… I understand. I’ve lived in this facility, Rhizome 9, all my life. Only one person has ever trusted me.”

 Those words struck Phi. She remembered the diagram she had taken from the B. garden safe. The diagram had also included the phrase ‘Nevada Test Site’ that had caused such a visceral reaction in Phi. Luna had been there at the time. She hadn’t said what it meant. “‘Rhizome 9’,” Phi hissed, “You knew what it meant.”

“Yes,” Luna replied, “This facility, where we’ve been for the entire Nonary Game, where the AB Plan was put into action? This is Rhizome 9.”

“Then the rest of that diagram…!”

Luna shook her head.

“You have to know what it means! You’ve got access to all Zero’s information, right? So you have to know what it means!”

“I… don’t… All I know is…” Luna looked over to Sigma’s sleeping form, then back to Phi. “I knew that I had to make sure you knew about it. I succeeded at that. And I had to make sure Sigma knew about it as well. And… And I… And I failed. Sigma never saw it.”

Phi couldn’t believe what Luna was saying. She had to know more about what Luna was hiding. She had to know more about that diagram. She opened her mouth to ask.

But she couldn’t. The Soporil had stolen her voice.

“I’m sorry, Phi,” Luna continued. She turned away. “I don’t think there’s any more I can do for you. I wish I could.”

Luna walked away from Phi. As she did so, she brushed past the privacy curtain, knocking it aside. Phi could see where Sigma lay beside the ADAM and he appeared to be stirring. Phi tried to rouse herself as well, but it was hopeless: the Soporil ran too deeply through her veins. Phi could only watch as Luna leaned over Sigma and whispered maternally into his ear.

 

Luna had been mercifully precise with her injection. At the moment the countdown ended, Phi was completely unconscious. She didn’t feel a thing.

 

**LUNA - END**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Luna's route, the other route that can be achieved without completing any other, was a pretty interesting one for me. Since the Luna end of VLR is unassailably the best, most gloriously emotional route ever I didn't want to compete against it straight up. I had to do something different. It occurred to me that Phi would not particularly get on well with Luna, and that I could create a route out of playing up Phi's distrust of robots. Thus this route, where there was a lot to play around with when it was possible that Sigma was a robot, became Luna's. Of course, it is ironic that in order to get Luna's route you have to choose not to go with Luna at the second choice of Chromatic Door, but what could I do?_

_I had to cheat a little bit towards the end by knocking Sigma out so that Phi and Luna could have a conversation without him. It needed to happen both so that Phi could be there at the climax of the route and so that Phi could pick up the plot key she gets in this route._

_We now have two places to continue from:_  
_A) We've unlocked **Plot Lock 10: Location, Location, Location.** Therefore, one choice would be to carry on from the end of chapter 41 and finish Clover's route._  
_B) We can also return to the choice of Chromatic Door in chapter 52 and start on the true route._

_I think I can guess what you're gonna tell me to do, but let's see._


	58. CLOVER END: The Inevitable Passage of Time

_So, we're breaking through **Plot Lock 10: Location, Location, Location** at he the end of chapter 41, and finishing Clover's route. You may want to skim through chapters 39-41 again just to refamiliarise with what's going on._

* * *

Despite being sure that Clover had released the pressure on her neck, Phi felt her mind start drifting woozily again. Phi panicked. She felt like she was dying once more. She felt exactly as she had when Clover had nearly killed her. Phi struggled, gasping for air. That wasn’t the problem: she could still breathe. Instead, something else was pulling her mind away, relentlessly tearing her focus apart. Phi resisted with her every thought but eventually her mental strength failed and Phi’s mind was dragged _into the void._

_When Phi next saw clearly, she was in the infirmary, lying messily on one of the hospital beds and incapable of moving. Her head pounded. Something was in her body, slowing her thoughts. It wasn’t alcohol this time. It was Soporil._

_Luna was leaning over her, holding the offending injection gun in her hand. It had to have been her who had immobilised Phi. Phi glared into Luna’s eyes as she lent closer. Luna didn’t react. She didn’t even appear aggressive, despite what she had done to Phi. She looked… disappointed._

_Past Luna, on the bed beside the ADAM, Phi saw Sigma who had been similarly immobilised. Had Luna attacked him as well?_ _His eyes had closed entirely; he was completely unconscious. There was no way he could help Phi. She would have to get out of this by herself._

_And since she couldn’t move, she would have to talk her way out. “What are you doing, Luna? Why did you attack me?” The moment the words left Phi’s mouth, she was aware that they weren’t exactly the most persuasive. They were the best she could manage given her clouded mind._

_“Please, don’t say that. I only wanted you to trust me. Please…” Luna’s reply trailed off pointlessly. Phi still didn’t understand what Luna’s motivation was. Luna’s next statement didn’t help at all either. “I understand. I wish this wasn’t how you felt, but… I understand. I’ve lived in this facility, Rhizome 9, all my life. Only one person has ever trusted me.”_

_Phi tried to reply. She failed. The Soporil had already stolen her breath. Helplessly, Phi lay there as Luna turned away and approached Sigma. The Soporil spread through her and she didn’t get to see what Luna did next. Instead, her vision clouded over and_ Phi returned to the present.

Clover was shaking Phi roughly by the shoulders. “Hey! Phi! You awake? You zoned out there.”

Phi blinked, forcing herself to focus on Clover. In only a few minutes, Phi had experienced two strange visions.  She was so confused that she stayed silent until Clover spoke again.

“You’re awake again, right? So, yeah, as I was saying, it’d be really neat if we knew where this place was so I could tell Light about it. I mean, yeah, I get that we’re too late to get rescued. I’ve accepted that. But it would be nice to just actually know it. Get what I mean? So where the hell are we?!”

“Rhizome 9.” Phi blurted out the answer. She knew that she shouldn’t have been at all confident that ‘Rhizome 9’ was true, but she said it anyway. The information she had learned in a fever-dream involving Tenmyouji had been accurate; why shouldn’t the same be true of one involving Luna?

Clover gasped, suddenly halting her shaking of Phi. “‘Rhizome 9’? How have you heard about that?” Clover asked, “I mean, if what Alice and I do is Super Super Top Secret, which it is, then the whole Rhizome project is Super Super Super Super Top Secret! Like, the only reason I know about is because Light and I cheated a little during our training. I don’t think even Alice knows about it. That’s how Top Secret it is.”

“What was the Rhizome project about? What was the goal?” Phi asked.

“Didn’t I just say that it was Super Super Super Super Top Secret? There’s no way I could’ve gotten a hold of anything like that.” Clover buried her face in her hand clearly thinking heavily. “I think it was some sort of ‘last defence’. You know: rhizomes are plants with loads and loads of roots and tricks to come back if the roots are cut away. I think the idea was to make sure that if humanity was obliterated, there’d be some way for us to come back. When you think about it, it’s really scary.”

“Of course humanity being obliterated is scary.”

“No! Not just that!” Clover snapped, “Zero Sr. somehow has control of this place. The fact that a psycho like that even knows about the Rhizomes is weird enough. Anyone in the government with enough power to know about them shouldn’t have had to kidnap me and Alice. They could have just ordered us here.”

“And you’d actually answer that order?” Phi asked.

Clover turned her head away. “Well… I knew there would be risks when I signed up.”

 

Then, Clover shook her head vigorously and finally, after what had felt for Phi like two eternities, released her. Phi collapsed onto the floor; she hadn’t realised the extent to which Clover had been supporting her. Too weakened to do anything else, Phi just sat there, focusing on her breathing, in and out, in and out, as Clover skipped away towards the centre of the warehouse.

When Clover disappeared to the left, moving out of sight behind the Ambidex Rooms, Phi stirred. It would be a waste of everything Phi had suffered so far to fail to see the conclusion. Phi twisted around until she was in position to use the pipe running down the wall to drag herself upwards. Phi couldn’t believe the amount of effort it took – coming that close to death took more out of her than she had thought – but the supports of the pipe made for perfect rungs up the wall.

Eventually Phi clambered to her feet and staggered, with a reflexive breath of relief, out of the corner where she had been trapped. As she wandered into the centre of the room she saw Clover nervously dancing from the ball of her left foot to the ball of her right.

“Clover… what are you doing?” Phi asked, keeping a respectful distance.

“Prepping, obviously,” Clover answered. As Clover took in Phi’s perplexed expression, she shrugged. “What? You thought the setup for being an esper was obvious? Do you really know anything about being an esper at all?”

Phi didn’t.

“Exactly. Don’t judge me. I don’t feel comfortable with my powers unless I’m warmed up. So let me do my thing, alright? I trust the info you’ve given me; trust me as I use it!”

As she said that, Clover stretched out to her full extent, spinning exuberantly on the ball of her left foot. Phi could hear Clover muttering, presumably reciting the contents of the message she was about to send. Eventually, Clover decided she was ready; she snapped down into a firm and stable stance, her hands lightly massaging her temples. Nothing perceivable about Clover had changed but Phi somehow felt it, like a tingling in the fingertips, as Clover’s esper ability activated.

“Did it work? Did you contact Light?” Phi asked.

Clover was silent for a second. Then, her eyes lit up. “Yes. I can feel him. It’s faint, but he’s out there. All I need to do is…”

And then Clover fell suddenly silent. She fell backwards as if hit in the head with a sledgehammer. Her attempt to get a message to the outside had failed.

 

Phi approached Clover cautiously. “What happened?” she asked. She asked it again when Clover didn’t respond.

Phi had made it all the way over to Clover and was about to kneel down beside her when Clover’s head suddenly snapped up. “Who are you?!” she yelled into the air.

Phi staggered back. “Clover…”

Clover couldn’t hear Phi’s words. She was speaking to someone else entirely. “Who are you?! You’re not my brother! What did you do to him, old man?! How on Earth did you manage to intercept this? Go away! Go away, go away, go away!”

At that moment, the bombs finally detonated. As their explosions engulfed the facility, Clover’s anguished tirade was scattered into the wind.

 

**CLOVER - END**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_And, so, we've completed Clover's route. I enjoyed writing it mostly because it definitely wins the prize for "Most Chapters after the Point where VLR has Packed Up and Gone Home." What happened there at the end should make sense if you think about it, so I'll let you work it out for yourselves. If there's one thing I regret, it's that in both VLR and Empty Virtue Clover got rather weak routes (especially when you take the Plot Key from this ending into account, which I confess is completely demeaning towards Clover). Back when I was thinking about a spiritual successor to Empty Virtue, I wanted to make sure Clover got a more important ending in at least part of it, but that's fallen away by now._

_We once again have a choice of where to restart, and will therefore need to vote again. Seriously, I swear this story has turned into British Democracy._  
A) Break through  **Plot Lock 1: Can't see the Forest for the ABs** using the key we picked up in this chapter and continue from the end of chapter 28.  
B) Go down the true route by going with Sigma through the Red Chromatic Door at the end of chapter 52.

_See you next time!_


	59. Shifted Sands, Severed Links

_So we restart by using the Plot Key we picked up in Clover's ending to break through **Plot Lock 1: Can't see the Forest for the ABs** (chapter 28). Phi needed to solve the mystery behind Alice's death, and she's about to get just the clue..._

* * *

Phi was concentrating so hard on solving Alice’s murder that she failed to notice the ominous tingling in her throat. She stumbled forwards along the line of Ambidex Rooms with an uneven pace, but it was only when one foot swerved out of position and nearly tripped the other that Phi realised that something was wrong. Phi fell forward. She tried to hold herself upright against the AB Room but only succeeded at swinging clumsily around its corner and into the space behind it. As she slammed into the wall, Phi’s mouth opened in a gasp.

No sound came out.

Phi clawed at her throat but couldn’t stop it from constricting further. She had no idea what was attacking her so all she could do was panic and squirm. She strained her lungs towards a deep breath; no air made it in. Phi’s struggles only made things worse and soon her mind dimmed as the life was choked out of it. Phi only got one last look at the nearest AB Room before her eyes closed entirely.

_When Phi’s eyes opened again, she was staring straight into Clover’s._

_Did that mean that Clover was the one who was strangling her? That didn’t make sense. Phi hadn’t seen Clover since she had run away from the crew quarters; she definitely hadn’t been in the warehouse and Phi hadn’t been able to see the person attacking her at all. Clover didn’t have the ability to turn invisible, right? Phi tried to ask what was going on, but her voice failed._

_Before Phi could start to panic again, Clover released her, suddenly and without apparent cause. Phi fell to the floor. Unsteadily, she lifted her arm towards Clover, but Clover had already danced out of reach and moved to the other side of the AB Rooms where Phi couldn’t see her._

_Phi was too weakened to stand up unaided; she swung her hand behind her and clung to the pipe mounted out the wall there. Slowly, she used the pipe to drag herself to her feet, glad that the pipe was attached securely enough to take her weight. Once Phi was sure she was steady enough to stand without support she let go and staggered after Clover. But just as Clover came back into view…_

“Phi! Phi!” Sigma’s shouts snapped Phi out of her hallucination.

Phi found herself still on the floor by the wall where she had first collapsed. She couldn’t let anyone see her that vulnerable. Mirroring her actions in the vision, Phi reached out for the pipe to drag herself up.

Her arm swung through thin air and slammed into the smooth pipe-less wall.

Confused, Phi reached out again, but the pipe she had expected still wasn’t there. After two more frustrated attempts, Phi looked over and saw the problem. The pipe was there. But it was two metres to the left of where she had expected it to be. Rather than descending all the way to the floor for Phi to easily grab, it disappeared into the narrow gap behind the closest Ambidex Room.

That was strange. Phi hadn’t considered the locations of the pipes too closely when she had first escaped into the warehouse but she was sure that the pipe had been exposed. Phi looked along the length of the pipe looking for any clue that could resolve the contradiction. Her eyes were drawn all the way up to the ceiling. There, just as the pipe entered the wall, Phi glimpsed a large claw-like crane dangling from its rails above the nearest AB Room.

Phi was in the process of inspecting it – taking in every detail she could given the great distance – when Sigma called out again. “Hey! Phi! You okay!”

Phi forced her weary body to scramble to its feet, composing herself just in time as Sigma came around the corner. She looked towards him expectantly, trying to appear as if nothing was wrong.

“Phi, stop running around,” Sigma said. He didn’t appear to have noticed Phi’s discomfort. “You just…”

Phi held up a finger, shushing Sigma. She took two steps forward, intending to return to the other end of the row of AB Rooms and continue the investigation of the bloodstain there, but then suddenly froze. She found her gaze instinctively drawn back to the ceiling and the crane. Somehow, she was sure that they were connected to the mystery she was trying to solve. After all, the vision that had drawn her attention to the pipe and then to the crane had started when she’d been most intently focused on that very mystery. It couldn’t be a coincidence.

Phi concentrated on connecting the dots. From her perspective, the pipe had moved: it had gone from being easily reachable in the hallucination to being deep in the crevice behind the AB Room. But that wasn’t possible; the pipe was securely riveted to the wall. So how had it possibly ended up behind an AB Room?

When Phi realised the answer to that question everything made sense.

“Phi!” Sigma reacted to the triumphant look of realisation on her face. “What’s up with that crane? Just tell me what you’ve found!”

“I noticed something. The same thing Alice and Clover noticed,” Phi replied. She stepped out into the middle of the warehouse and pointed along the row of Ambidex Rooms. “Alice found the bloody handkerchief there, by the last AB Room, right? When we looked there, there was a large obvious bloodstain as well.”

Sigma nodded.

“So, why did no-one notice it earlier?”

Sigma scratched his chin. “I guess we weren’t being very observant. We were preoccupied trying to figure out who had kidnapped us; you can’t blame us for not noticing stuff.”

“Speak for yourself,” Phi said, shaking her head, “No: someone would have seen the bloodstain if it had been visible earlier.”

“So you’re claiming that the old lady’s blood could turn invisible?” Sigma asked.

“No.” Phi sighed. “I’m saying that there was something in front of it, concealing it.”

After pondering for a bit, Sigma said, “That can’t be right. You’re contradicting yourself. If we were supposed to have noticed the bloodstains like you said then we should have noticed whatever was covering them as well!”

“There’s exactly one thing that could have been placed by that Ambidex Room that would conceal the bloodstain and which none of us would have thought was out of place in any way at all.” Phi raised her eyebrow at Sigma expectantly.

“So? What is it? Spit it out!” Sigma demanded.

“Another Ambidex Room.”

 

There had always been six Ambidex Rooms in a row along the wall of the warehouse. But at some point – probably while Phi and Sigma had been solving the puzzle in the lounge – the room at the far right had been lifted and moved all the way to the left of the line. In the process it had revealed the bloodstained handkerchief which had originally been perfectly hidden in the crevice between the AB Rooms. In the process the AB Room had come down right in front of the pipe which had triggered Phi’s realisation.

Phi explained all of this to Sigma. She concluded, “See that crane up there? When – if – this place was an operational warehouse it would have been used for stacking huge shipping containers. It’s more than capable of carrying one of these AB Rooms.”

“Okay, I’ll accept that. But what does this have to do with anything? If that is what Alice and Clover noticed, how is it supposed to tell us who murdered Alice?” Sigma asked.

“It all goes back to the old lady’s murder,” Phi explained, “Let me ask you a question. When we first found her body, who did we consider the prime suspect?”

“K,” Sigma replied.

“And why was that?”

“Because her body was found in the left-most AB Room,” Sigma said, “K came out of the room. Clover was in there as well, but she was unconscious. So K was the most likely suspect.”

“Right,” Phi said. She smirked. “Well, right except for being completely wrong.”

“Goddammit Phi! Are you gonna give me a straight answer here?”

“Didn’t you listen to everything I just said? This Ambidex Room…” Phi slammed her palm forcefully against the side of it for emphasis. “… isn’t the left-most one. It isn’t the room K and Clover came out of. This Ambidex Room was originally the right-most one. And that means…” Phi took a deep breath then firmly stated the name of her new prime suspect, both of the old lady’s murder and Alice’s. “… it’s Luna’s.”

“No!” Sigma gasped, “Luna wouldn’t do that, would she?”

“This AB Room wasn’t moved on a whim, Sigma. There was a purpose. That purpose was to obscure the identity of the true killer of the old lady. Luna murdered her before the rest of us solved our puzzles in the AB Rooms, stowed the body in her own AB Room and cleaned up the rest of the blood with that handkerchief before hiding that between the rooms.” It was clear to Phi now why Luna had been acting so weirdly and impassively in the lounge. She was a cold-blooded killer imperfectly maintaining her façade.

“But…”

“Even more,” Phi interrupted, “this also proves that Luna is working with Zero. She could even be Zero Sr. Only Zero Jr., as the AI running this facility, could have activated that crane. That rodent did it to protect her.”

“That doesn’t make sense!” Sigma exclaimed, “First off, ‘rodent’? Zero Jr.’s clearly a rabbit.”

Phi ignored that and waited for Sigma to get to his point.

“Secondly, the only reason we’re talking about this right now is because we found that bloodstain because the room was moved. Would Zero Jr. really have chosen to expose that if he was working with Lu… the murderer?”

“Obviously, they can’t communicate in the open now that the Nonary Game has started,” Phi stated, “They can’t coordinate their actions. Zero Jr. probably just weighed up the odds and decided that the risk was worth it, given that we would have found the body in Luna’s room otherwise.”

Sigma looked away. “Even if I do accept this,” he said, “just hypothetically, what the hell does this have to do with Alice?”

“Alice figured that out first,” Phi said. Sigma still looked reticent; Phi attempted to mollify him. “Look, Sigma, I’m not saying this is certain. There might be another explanation. Still, it’s the best lead we’ve got. What’s more, we can be sure that Alice thought Luna was the killer too, which means Clover probably does as well. If Alice confronted Luna…”

“No! I can’t believe that! I’ve been around Luna more than you have. I know her better than you do. She…”

 

Before Sigma could finish, the cyan door swooshed open. K strode into the warehouse, his footsteps hitting the floor with morbid weight. “Sigma… Phi…” he said dully, “I’m sorry. I have some bad news. Luna… Luna is dead.”

K led them into room two of the crew quarters. That was where Alice had been murdered; her body had now been joined by Luna’s lying awkwardly with her right arm feebly outstretched. Unlike Alice, there were no blemishes on Luna’s body. Still, the cause of death was obvious. Just out of Luna’s reach was an injection gun: the label on the now-empty vial read turbocuarine.

“No!” Sigma screamed. He fell to his knees and futilely checked for a pulse. Phi knew that he wouldn’t find one: the turbocuarine would have killed Luna within seconds. Eventually Sigma’s frantic motions subsided as he gave up.

In contrast to Sigma’s grief, Phi felt relieved. There was too much evidence that Luna was a murderer for Phi to feel otherwise. Yes, Phi had lost the chance to question her, but having one less threat walking around was far more valuable.

On the other hand, it was clear that someone else had murdered Luna. Phi had to find out who as quickly and efficiently as possible. She started by interrogating K, who was both the last person who she’d seen with Luna alive and the person to find the body. “K, you went with Luna to search after the AB Game. What happened?”

K nodded. “Ah, that is true. However, Luna and I split up as soon as we got to floor B. We determined that it would be more efficient. I headed through the blue Chromatic Door while she headed through the green door.”

“Oh!” Sigma exclaimed, “That explains why when we talked to Dio downstairs he said he’d only seen you, not Luna.”

Phi asked her next question. “Okay, then, why were you late? It’s twenty minutes past the time we had agreed to meet up in the warehouse, yet you only just showed up. What were you doing?”

K tilted his helmet down. “I was… resuscitating. Let me explain how I found Luna. I had arrived at the warehouse five minutes before our agreed meeting time. You had yet to show up, as had Luna. I waited.

“Some minutes later, I heard something. It came from behind the cyan door and sounded like a woman’s scream. Well, it was actually quite faint. As such, I couldn’t make out what was being said. It seemed entirely possible that I had imagined it.

“I heard no other sounds for a few minutes following the scream. Eventually the silence made me uncomfortable, so I made my way to the crew quarters. As I entered, I noticed that the door to this room was slightly ajar. I ran in and found Luna on the floor.”

“So you’re saying you spent a good twenty minutes trying to resuscitate her?” Sigma asked.

“Yes,” K replied, “I deduced that she had been injected with turbocuarine. Her heart had stopped, so I attempted CPR. To the best of my abilities, at least. With this mask, I was obviously unable to provide artificial respiration.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Sigma asked.

“I had no reason to believe you were in the warehouse. If you weren’t, I would have wasted precious time. I chose instead to continue resuscitation. But… It wasn’t enough. Eventually, I heard you talking to each other in the warehouse. I believe you know the rest.”

“The killer had plenty of time to escape,” Phi stated, “If that scream was when Luna was killed, then the killer could easily have left via the exit door and headed down the corridor before K went to investigate.”

“May I say something?” K asked, “I’m not sure if this has anything to do with Luna, but I saw something here that I wanted to point out. Look at Alice. Do you notice anything?”

Phi turned her attention away from Luna to look at Alice. Alice’s body was in exactly the same position as when Phi had last seen her and Phi was almost convinced that nothing had changed. But then she saw what K was trying to point out. “The knife… it’s gone,” she exclaimed.

“Indeed,” K said, “I wonder if the killer was the one to take it?” K hadn’t seen the evidence that Luna was the one who had murdered Alice; he was still reasoning under the assumption that there was only one killer responsible for all three deaths.

Phi decided to correct him. “We don’t know that it was the same person who killed Alice and Luna.”

“That is a terrifying thought,” K said, “That one of us has chosen to resort to murder is bad enough. But, ah, you may be correct. If so, either one of the murderers could have taken the knife.”

Sigma shook his head. “That can’t be right. If Luna’s murderer had the knife, why wouldn’t they have used it to kill Luna? Why resort to the injection gun?”

“You’re wrong, Sigma,” Phi said, “There’s a big difference between stabbing someone and injecting them with poison. The more you can divorce yourself from the actual _killing_ , the easier it is to kill someone. Most people, given that choice, would choose the injection gun.”

“So you’re saying that they took the knife before they killed Luna?” Sigma once again leapt to a conclusion.

“No,” Phi snapped, “I don’t know either way. There’s no way for us to know. If we don’t know, we really shouldn’t try and draw conclusions. That could colour our reasoning, and that’s not good. Conclusions without evidence are useless.”

“We need to tell the others,” K said, “I believe we should go to the white doors. Dio should still be there and, in any case, you two were the only people waiting in this floor’s warehouse. Hopefully, Tenmyouji and Clover will have gone to the lower floor’s warehouse.” Forlornly, K knelt down and picked up Luna’s bracelet, before passing it to Sigma – Phi and Sigma would need Luna’s green bracelet to pass through the white Chromatic Doors. “Shall we go?”

The three of them headed out through the exit door in single file, K at the head. They were about halfway along when Phi suddenly froze. She had been so distracted, first by solving the mystery of what Alice had found by the AB Rooms then by Luna’s death, that she had forgotten something very important.

“Oh shit,” Phi whispered, “What the hell is wrong with me?”

“Did something happen?” Sigma asked.

“Not yet,” Phi replied, “but…” She trailed off awkwardly.

“What is it, Goddamnit?!” Sigma yelled.

“Quark.”

K, having noticed that Phi and Sigma had stopped, turned around. “Oh my, you are right. I never found him and suppose neither of you did either. This _is_ bad. After all, even if we do find Clover and Tenmyouji when we reach the lower floor, they will be unable to get through the white Chromatic Door without Quark. They’ll be penalised. If we haven’t found Quark by then…”

“Time!” Sigma snapped, “How much time do we have left?!”

K replied dully, “Only five minutes.”

“Then we…” Sigma said, but his voice went silent before he could finish his sentence.

“Let’s just go to the warehouse on floor B. Perhaps Quark has already been found.” With that K turned away and continued walking towards the elevator. Phi and Sigma could only follow.

 

Phi, Sigma and K arrived at the lower floor just as the white Chromatic Doors opened. They had only five more minutes to go through them. And Quark wasn’t there.

Dio, however, was. “You late! What the fuck were you thinking?” he yelled as they entered, “Are you trying to kill me?! I can’t get through the doors without K and Alice’s bracelet!”

Sigma didn’t answer Dio. Instead, he only said, “Quark! Did they find Quark?”

“How the fuck would I know?” Dio snapped, “I’ve been here. Just forget about him. Now, where’s Alice’s bracelet? Which one of you has it?”

“What about Tenmyouji and Clover?” Sigma asked, ignoring Dio’s question, “Have they come back yet?”

“Look around, asshole! What do you think?!” As Dio was insinuating, Clover and Tenmyouji weren’t there either. “Now, pay attention. The bracelet! Hand it over, already!”

Phi passed Alice’s bracelet to K.

“Finally!” Dio shouted, “Now let’s go!” Dio turned away and headed to the right-most of the three open doors.

K didn’t follow him.

Dio turned back to face K. “Hey! K! What, you don’t like this door? We can take a different one. As long as we are in the right group, it shouldn’t matter what door we take.”

“That’s not the issue,” K said bluntly.

Dio scowled. “Then please, tell me, what the fuck is the issue?!”

“The issue is being a human being,” K said, “Three of us still haven’t arrived. If we leave them behind…”

“What a great time to grow a heart,” Dio snapped, “If you stay here, you’re gonna kill me!”

“I do not intend to do that. But I will stay here as long as possible. I intend to know what has happened to the remaining players.

Phi agreed with K. She also wanted to wait as long as possible. She turned away from the white Chromatic Doors and stared out into warehouse, her gaze flitting between the two doors by which the remaining players could arrive. She used the time to think.

How had they been unable to find Quark? What could they have done to increase their chances of finding him? Maybe if Phi had wasted less time investigating the AB Rooms she would have found Quark. If so, this was her fault.

But even so, it seemed like they had done a very thorough search for the boy. Phi and Sigma had searched a great many rooms in the facility and though they hadn’t been everywhere they weren’t the only ones searching. Tenmyouji had certainly been searching for his grandson with everything he had, and though Clover didn’t have that emotional connection she had to have realised the consequences of not finding Quark’s bracelet. K and Luna had also been searching from the moment the Ambidex Game had finished and had even split up to cover more ground.

But was that true? Had Luna really been searching? With the revelation that Luna had probably murdered the old lady and then Alice, could Phi really trust that Luna had been searching for Quark? Even worse, what if Luna was responsible for Quark going missing?

A terrible pang of guilt erupted inside Phi. She hadn’t found out about Luna soon enough. She’d trusted Luna and let Luna steal Quark away. And she’d let Luna die. Now there was no way to interrogate her and find out what she had done with Quark. It was all Phi’s fault.

Phi’s thoughts were interrupted by an announcement. “One minute remains until Chromatic Doors close.”

“We don’t have much time left, K!” Dio roared, “Get in here already!”

“I will,” K replied, “But I have a condition.”

“Couldn’t make this easy, could you,” Dio muttered.

“The condition is not for you,” K said. He turned to Phi and Sigma. “I know that both want to stay and wait for the others, but I want you to go into one of the doors as well. Dio and I cannot be the only survivors.”

“No,” Sigma replied instantly, “I can’t do that. You’re asking me to leave three people to die. I can’t just leave them behind!”

Phi considered what Sigma had said. She came to a snap decision. “Me either. I’m staying with Sigma. We can’t just ditch them.” If the situation was her fault then it was right that she risk her life to see it through to the end.

Dio retreated completely into the alcove behind his chosen Chromatic Door. “Bunch of fucking idiots… Come on, K. If they want to die, let them.”

K bowed his head. “I see. Sigma, Phi, you leave me with no choice. I apologise.”

Suddenly K’s gauntleted fist shot out, catching Sigma cleanly on the side of the head. He fell over completely, his eyes blank and unfocused. Sigma was unconscious. Phi took an instinctive step back, but before she could move far K had dashed up to her.

“You have my sympathy,” he said sorrowfully, “I wish there was another way. I only wish to save you. Had I not forced the issue, neither of you would have budged.”

Phi reflexively tried to squirm out of K’s grip but he held firm. She couldn’t escape.

“Goodbye, Phi,” K said. He raised his left arm. And suddenly Phi’s world went blank.

 

When Phi awoke she and Sigma were in the area behind one of the Chromatic Doors. The sensors were inert, having accepted their presence and that of Luna’s bracelet, and the door on the far side was open for them to advance. The white Chromatic Door had closed.

And Clover, Tenmyouji and Quark were dead.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._


	60. A Protracted Moment of Time

“Phi?” Sigma asked as he stirred, “Where are we?”

Phi didn’t respond. Her head was throbbing from where K had knocked her out, and the ringing in her ears muffled Sigma’s voice.

Sigma seemed to be feeling the same pain. “Urgh… What happened to us?”

Phi rolled ungainly towards the open secondary door and used its frame to haul herself to her feet. They couldn’t stop to think about things. They had to keep going, onto the next puzzle, no matter what had happened. She couldn’t ask, or she’d stop entirely.

“Phi… where are the others? Where are Tenmyouji, and Clover, and Quark?”

“I don’t _know_ , Sigma,” Phi snapped. She turned back to face him, her headache whirling from the motion. “I don’t know where they are. They… We won’t know until we get out of here.” Phi fell back and turned away, staggering. “We should go.”

Sigma clambered up as well. Unsteady from lingering pain, they left the atrium of the Chromatic Door. The route to the next puzzle was a long but straight corridor and Phi and Sigma were able to support themselves on each smooth wall as they made their way along. Eventually, they reached a door with a holographic plaque reading ‘Security’, which swung open at their sluggish approach.

“Did you see that? It said ‘Security’.” Sigma took a deep breath then lurched forward through the door. Phi saw him disappear to the left once inside.

Phi followed him, more smoothly now that she had had time to recover, and entered into the bright light of the security room. The exit door was directly in front of her, reachable even with her weary arms, such that the room was divided in two by the aisle between the doors. Phi looked towards the left hand section first, following the direction that Sigma had run.

There, the far wall had mounted on it a giant screen split into a three by three grid. Each screen was dark. Before them stood Sigma, leaning stiffly over a yellow seat with his curled fist angrily driving itself against the control panel below the screen.

“Goddamnit…” Sigma muttered, “Why isn’t this working?! We should have been able to see the rest of the facility. We could have found out what’s happened to everyone else.”

“Hmm…” Phi replied, scratching her chin.

“Huh? Do you think these screens are fake or something? Do you think Zero Sr. set it up so we couldn’t see anything?”

“Well, maybe,” Phi said, darkly, “Maybe not. But Sigma… Are you really sure you want to know?”

Sigma turned away from Phi. His body sagged. But then he straightened and turned back to Phi, steel in his natural eye to match his artificial one. “Yeah. We have to know.”

Phi nodded. “Okay. There has to be some way to turn it on. Let’s have a look around. We should start looking for pieces of the puzzle as well. We still need to seek a way out of here.” Phi gazed around the screen’s end of the room. The other two walls had their own workstations, distinguished from the main one by different coloured seats – red on the right, green on the left – and by having a much smaller screen, comparable in size to only one segment of the main screen.

As Phi swung her gaze further left, back towards the entrance door, her eyes were drawn towards a grey metal cabinet emblazoned with a faded warning label. Phi opened it. Inside were nine electrical switches, which Phi mechanically returned to the ‘on’ position.

“Oh!” Sigma gasped from behind her, “The screen’s on now!”

“Yeah. I guess they just needed power,” Phi replied.

“Let’s have a look,” Sigma said. His breathing slowed as he intently examined the screen. “Oh! Oh… Goddamnit…”

Phi turned back to see what had appeared on the main screen. Each of the nine parts showed a different image, streamed from a camera within the facility. Phi saw both warehouses, the inside of an Ambidex Room, and also all of the previous puzzle rooms: lounge, infirmary, crew quarters, pantry, gaulem bay and rec room.

But Phi saw nothing else.

The cameras showed not a single living thing in any of the rooms.

 

“Damnit!” Sigma roared, “Why is Zero screwing with us! We can’t see a thing.”

“I told you that you wouldn’t want to see,” Phi said, though inside she was itching to know the truth as well. She backed away from the electrical junction box and returned to the gap between the entrance and exit doors. “Look, Sigma. If we want to find out where the others are then we only have one choice. We have to solve Zero’s puzzle. Let’s get going; you search this end of the room and I’ll search the other. Okay?”

“Yeah,” Sigma replied dully.

Phi turned around and walked over to the smaller half of the security room. Right in front of her was the ever-familiar safe, resting at a skew angle on a low glass table. Behind the table was a utilitarian grey sofa, but nothing else was on either the table or the sofa so Phi turned away from that which was directly in front of her to explore the rest of the alcove.

On the walls on either side were shelves arranged in an artistic pattern of hexagons and triangles. Phi first noticed that they were shelves rather than just decorative when she looked left: a pair of egg timers had in placed inside the central hexagons of that shelf. Phi examined them. One had red sand and was labelled ‘4’ while the other contained yellow sand and was labelled ‘11’.

Phi turned around to see if the other shelf also contained anything of use. It did not. It seemed as though Phi had exhausted her end of the room. She hoped Sigma had found more.

Phi was about to leave when she noticed one last thing. It wasn’t an item; instead, above and to the right of the sofa, there was an ornate light switch in the shape of a golden lion’s head.

“Sigma!” Phi called out, “I found a light switch here, or something like it. Is it okay if I press it?”

After a few seconds later, Sigma responded. “Go ahead. It’s not as if I can do anything down here, anyway. There’s just a bunch of passwords that I don’t know.”

Phi pressed the switch.

As the button bounced out again the room dissolved into darkness, with only a glowing backlight for the switch keeping Phi oriented. She turned around, taking note of each individual light source. The largest was the great surveillance screen, but that was at the very other end of the room. Much closer were the hexagonal shelves, each glowing with a pattern of coloured light. Since the light switch had been too distinct to be irrelevant and the shelves were the only things to respond to the darkness, Phi made a note of the patterns: green hexagons and pink triangles on the shelves close to the entry door and vice-versa on the other shelf.

Nothing else had lit up. Phi switched the light back on.

“Wait!” Sigma shouted urgently from his end of the room.

“What is it?”

“I saw something while the lights were off. Looked like letters. I think it might be the passwords I’m looking for.”

Phi turned the lights off again, and waited for Sigma’s confirmation before lighting up the room again. As she looked over towards the giant screen, she saw Sigma moving purposefully from each workstation to the next, typing something in at each one along the way. After putting in the password at the station with the red seat, he was satisfied.

 

Phi returned to the lower part of the security room to see what Sigma had accomplished. Phi could see that each of the three workstations had its own touchscreen; they were now active. “Did you manage to unlock everything?” Phi asked.

“Yes,” Sigma replied, “but I think there’s other puzzles on each one keeping me from going further. Can we have a look at the puzzle below the big screen first?” Sigma gestured falteringly towards it. “I mean… maybe we’ll be able to… I don’t know… control the cameras or something. Change what’s on that damn screen. Argh!” Sigma scrunched his face up with torturous guilt. “I’m sorry, Phi. I can’t stop thinking about them. I have to know something… anything.”

Phi nodded silently. She was sure that the answer Sigma was looking for wasn’t the one that he wanted to find. Tenmyouji, Clover and Quark had been nowhere in sight when the Chromatic Doors had closed; there was no way they had made it safely inside. Even so, there was no need to say that bluntly.

Phi approached the main console and sat herself down in the yellow chair. On examining the touchscreen, she saw an icon of an hourglass. Phi pressed it. Symbols span across the screen, before finally settling on an arrangement of five colour-coded hourglasses along with cells – with matching colours – where numbers could be entered.

Phi took out the red and yellow hourglasses she had found earlier. She flipped the red one over and observed that it did, in fact, take about four seconds to empty. Similarly, the other hourglass took around eleven seconds. The numbers on the timers – and, by the obvious connection, the numbers wanted by the touchscreen – must have been referring to the times the hourglasses took to run out.

That meant that Phi only had to test the runtimes of the three remaining hourglasses on the touchscreens. She tapped the image of the blue timer, turning it over. To Phi’s surprise, it stayed motionless, the grains of blue hovering impossibly above the bottleneck. Then Phi noticed a button with a ‘play’ symbol to the left of the glasses. Phi pressed it.

The blue hourglass emptied instantly.

That was strange. How was Phi supposed to measure the hourglasses? Then Phi guessed how the computer worked and what she was supposed to do. She flipped over the icons of both the blue and red timers. They both waited for her to continue. Phi pressed play.

The red hourglass emptied instantly. But only about half of the blue sand drifted into the bottom.

Phi now understood how to work out the solution. The most precise method would be to work out some combination of turned timers such that two of them ran out together, exactly confirming the duration of the unknown one. Instead Phi – always a pragmatist – figured she could approximate. After comparing the remaining time on the blue hourglass to the red one once again, Phi saw that a little sliver of sand remained in the top bulb of the red on. The blue hourglass took just under eight seconds to empty.

Since only whole numbers could be accepted by the touchscreen, Phi called it seven. Similarly, the green hourglass took nine seconds and the final pink one took fifteen. With that, the puzzle was completed and the main screen changed.

 

“You know, Phi…” Sigma said morosely, “When I said I wanted to change what was on the screen, this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.

Phi looked up.

Every single one of the nine camera feeds had been utterly erased, taking the morbidly tantalising hope of finding Quark and Tenmyouji and Clover with them. They were replaced by nine single words on a plain green background:

‘Me, Be, I.  
‘Was, Will, Everything.  
‘You, Knows, She.’

Phi grimaced. “It’s just part of the puzzle. At least we’re getting somewhere. We’ll be out of here soon.” With Sigma placated, Phi continued, “So. Any ideas?”

“Yeah, you’re right. Gimme a couple of seconds to think.” Sigma scratched the side of his head. “Hmm… The words are all pretty basic. But maybe… Yeah: could they be scrambled up? Are we supposed to get them back into the correct order?”

“Interesting idea,” Phi said. When she looked down at the console, she saw that the grid of nine words had also appeared on the touchscreen. As her finger drifted across the word ‘Be’, it slid out of its position, jumping back only when Phi lifted her finger from the page. “Looks like you’re right. Question is: what correct order? There’s a lot of different sentences we can make from these.” Before Sigma could speak Phi answered her own conundrum.  “We still have two other mini-puzzles to solve. They’ll probably give us a clue.”

Phi rose from the yellow chair and went right, sitting herself it the red seat. On pressing its icon, a diagram showing a similar geometric pattern to the shelves appeared on screen, though their pattern of pink and green was not in any way symmetrical; Phi quickly understood that she had to correct this by changing the pattern to match that of the shelf further along the wall.

With the second mini-puzzle complete, the touchscreen went blank. Phi raised her head to see that the small screen above her console had activated, displaying the phrase ‘Will Be Me.’ That was three of the words from the main screen put into place. When Phi turned around, she saw Sigma hunched over the opposite touchscreen. Shortly after, the small screen above that one activated as well. It displayed. ‘I Was You.’

“How were you able to solve that, Sigma?” Phi asked with surprise, “I was certain that you hadn’t seen the shelves back there while they were lit up. That only happens when the lights are off, and that only happened twice.”

“I looked over your shoulder while you were solving that one,” Sigma explained, “It wasn’t exactly the same, but the target pattern was the mirror image of yours. Zero Sr. seems to like symmetry.”

Phi nodded, then shifted her focus back to the phrases on the monitors. ‘I Was You.’ ‘Will Be Me.’ The words crashed together in Phi’s mind. They resembled the English translation of a mournful Latin proverb. And as Phi remembered that proverb, other memories rushed into her mind.

 

_‘Tu Fui. Ego Eris.’  
_ _‘I Was You. You Will Be Me.’_

_That was what it said on the gravestone in the garden where Phi found herself. She hadn’t seen it before, but something told her that this was inside the Nonary Game. For one thing, the bracelet was still attached firmly to her wrist._

_Phi felt a shadow cross over the back of her neck. She scrambled around from where she had knelt before the grave and looked up._

_Luna loomed over her._

_Even if Phi hadn’t seen all the evidence that Luna had murdered both Alice and the old lady, all her instincts in that moment would have revealed the truth: Luna was dangerous. She held herself too calmly and too stiffly, and it seemed as if even the light descending from the ceiling distorted itself around her._

_Then another phrase formed in Phi’s mind, with all the weighty relevance of ‘Tu Fui. Ego Eris’: ‘Uncanny Valley.’_

_Phi was sure this train of thought was leading her somewhere important, as though the vision was leading her to the truth about Luna just like the one that had first helped her identify Luna as Alice’s killer. That truth had to be in the future of the dream. But before the vision could continue_ Phi was woken from it by Sigma shouting.

 

“Hey, Phi!” Sigma called out, “The safe’s open.”

Phi shook her head to clear her eyes. When she could see reality again, the words on the screen had been replaced by the green-backed safe password. Sigma, who had already seen it, was kneeling in front of the safe.

“How did you solve it?” Phi asked as she joined Sigma.

“You didn’t see? All I did was arrange the words on the big screen into those phrases. Anyway, let’s see what’s inside the safe.” Sigma popped the safe door open.

There was very little inside. In fact, the safe’s contents were the bare minimum: two star keycards for the Ambidex Rooms and a small key to escape the security room.

Sigma snatched them up. “Let’s go, Phi. Let’s go and find Tenmyouji, and Clover, and Quark.”

When Sigma put it like that, Phi felt the need to delay. She was certain that finding the missing players would not be a pleasant experience and she did not want to rush towards it. Seizing on the first excuse she could think of, Phi said. “Wait! Shouldn’t we try and find the other safe password as well? The folders we found in the AB Room and lounge had interesting information inside; I wouldn’t be surprised if the folder in this safe gave instructions on how to use the cameras.” Phi had made that up on the spot, but it was still possible.

Sigma paused for thought, his confliction showing even through his silence. Eventually he replied, softly, “Go ahead.”

In search of clues towards the secondary safe password, Phi turned back towards the main screen. As she watched, the green safe password faded from the screen and the words returned. But not all of them were displayed. Only the six words used in the previous phrases were still on their sections of the grid of screens; the other three feeds were blank.

“Sigma, what happened to the screen? Why are the other three words missing?” Phi asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Sigma replied, “Once I put the words in order, I had to turn the other feeds off with the switches.”

Phi opened up the electrical box and understood what Sigma was explaining: three of the switches had been returned to the ‘off’ position. That was why one third of the array of screens was blank. It also gave a glaring hint as to the way to uncover the second password. Phi flipped all nine switches to reverse the status of each subscreen of the main array.

“Huh?” Sigma exclaimed, “What are you doing?”

Phi explained her reasoning: if six of the words gave them the escape password, the other three – so far unused – must provide the file password.

Sigma looked thoughtful for a couple of seconds. Then he muttered to himself, “Goddamnit. I can’t believe I missed that.”

On returning to the main screen, Phi looked at the remaining three words. There was only one possible sentence they could form.

‘She Knows Everything.’

As she arranged the words to make that sentence, Phi understood exactly what that sentence referred to. ‘She’ had to be Luna. Zero was taunting the players with the traitor in their midst: presumably Zero Sr. hadn’t been able to predict that Luna would be dead before the players ever saw his taunt.

Before Phi could reflect on this, the screen displayed the other password. Sigma got to the safe first and opened it again. As Phi approached Sigma he ruffled through the folder inside, before discarding it to the floor disgustedly.

“Sorry, Phi,” he said, “There’s nothing in there about the surveillance cameras.”

Phi picked up the file from where Sigma had discarded it and glanced at the first page:

‘Knox’s Ten Commandments:

‘Ronald Knox, a mystery writer from the UK, published the following as his rules for writing a mystery novel:

‘1. The criminal must be mentioned early on, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to follow.  
‘2. All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out.  
‘3. No more than one secret room or passage is allowable.  
‘4. No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long scientific explanation at the end.  
‘5. No foreign, exotic or otherwise unusual character may be introduced with the sole intention of using their foreignness to draw suspicion.  
‘6. No accident may ever help the detective, nor must he ever have an unaccountable intuition which proves to be right.  
‘7. The detective must not commit the crime.  
‘8. The detective must declare any clues he may discover.  
‘9. The stupid friend of the detective – the Watson – must conceal nothing from the reader.  
‘10. Twins, and doubles generally, must not appear unannounced.’

Phi scowled. It was exactly as Sigma had said: nothing but abstract nonsense.

 

Phi heard a noise to the left of her. She turned her head to see Sigma unlocking the escape door. As it opened, he solemnly began to step through it.

“Wait!” Phi stopped Sigma entirely out of instinct, though essentially for the same reasons as previously.

Sigma sighed. He didn’t turn around as he replied, “What is it _this_ time, Phi?” After a few tense seconds he backpedalled. “I’m sorry. I’m just… frustrated. I just feel so tense not being able to go out there and… do something. The old lady is dead and Alice is dead and Luna is dead –”

Phi thought about pointing out that it was probably for the best that Luna couldn’t threaten them, but Sigma’s earnestness kept her quiet.

“– and we don’t know if Tenmyouji and Clover and Quark are even alive right now. But…”

Suddenly Sigma froze. The colour drained from his face. As Sigma’s left knee buckled and he fell forward, Phi had to jump to catch him.

“Hey!” Phi yelled at Sigma, “Are you all right?”

Sigma didn’t respond. For a moment, Phi thought he was at least meeting her gaze, but then his eyes drifted away, slowly and almost at random.

“What’s going on? You really don’t look so good.” Phi muttered to herself.

She checked Sigma’s pulse and breathing, which were both steady, before trying to diagnose what had caused his sudden collapse. Unfortunately, her medical knowledge was mostly focused on injuries and wounds, and Sigma’s problem was nothing like that. All she could do was lie him down to rest – fortunately, they were close enough to the sofa for Phi to drag Sigma there – and keep an eye on him to make sure he remained stable.

Time passed. When it became clear that Sigma wasn’t changing any time soon – for better or for worse – Phi stood up. She knew she couldn’t leave the security room, since she would need to be there if Sigma’s condition got worse, but she could at least do something useful while she waited.

Phi returned to the main screen and its console. Now that the puzzle had ended and presumably triggered by Sigma opening the exit door, the screen now displayed a more versatile interface, allowing Phi options that she hadn’t had before. Phi opened the program that controlled the surveillance cameras. She was able to view again the nine rooms that had been shown on the screen before, and was also able to access the cameras in the security room itself – seeing herself in the yellow work-seat and Sigma on the sofa confirmed that the video was live – as well as many other rooms that she hadn’t seen before.

Unfortunately, there was still no sign of what had happened to the other players. It was her frustration with not seeing anything that gave Phi the idea: the computer system had to be keeping records of the surveillance footage. If she could access them, then they would almost certainly show her what had happened to Tenmyouji and Clover and Quark.

She still expected that the news would not be good, but having access to all the video footage would not only allow Phi to confirm their fate, but also discover what had prevented them from arriving at the warehouse. In particular, Phi would find out why Quark had gone missing after the second round of puzzle rooms. With that in mind, Phi located the playback section of the surveillance program and determinedly tried to open it.

The attempt failed. ‘Error: Security Clearance Required.

‘Archived footage cannot be viewed until user with sufficient clearance level has logged on.’

Phi groaned furiously. She had felt so close to discovering the truth. Even having been rejected by the computer system, Phi was sure there had to be some way in. The error message was just so… familiar…

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_This would have been **Plot Lock 2: Surveilled in Mystery**. However, we picked up the key for this last time we were in security, in chapter 15. See you when Phi hacks in next fortnight!_


	61. Online, there is Truth

_So, we break through **Plot Lock 2: Surveilled in Mystery** using the Plot Key we picked up the last time Phi went through Security (chapter 15)._

* * *

‘Error: Security Clearance Required.

‘Archived footage cannot be viewed until user with sufficient clearance level has logged on.’

Phi bent forward in the yellow seat, concentrating forcefully as she tried to remember where she had seen that error before. She was focusing on the problem so intently and futilely that a headache began to form behind her eyes; Phi gripped the bottom of her seat tightly to steady herself. She leaned all the way forward until she was close enough to the screen for the error message to dominate her field of view.

‘Error: Security Clearance Required.’

Phi thought. She read the message again. She thought even harder. And then _an unseen force yanked her from the seat and tossed her aside._

_When Phi scrambled to her feet she saw Dio sitting down in the seat he had dragged her from, an unleashed and desperate fury emblazoned across his face. Phi tried to protest but Dio ignored her entirely. Instead, Dio’s entire attention was focused on the main screen of the security room where a familiar-looking error message was displayed._

_‘Error: Security Clearance Required._

_‘Transmitted data cannot be downloaded to this terminal until user with sufficient clearance level has logged on.’_

_Except for the operation that had required the security clearance, it was the same message that had blocked Phi from accessing the archived footage. Dio placed his hands over the keyboard. Phi thought he was about to login and wondered how he could possibly know a username and password to get in, but then Dio instead brought up a command-line interface._

_Dio was hacking his way into the terminal! Having realised that, Phi paid attention to the computer code Dio was typing in. He was typing so quickly that Phi had difficulty following it, but once she understood the exploit he was abusing she could follow his method._

_Eventually Dio pressed enter and the computer slavishly ran the code he had entered. Almost immediately the message on the screen changed. ‘Security Clearance Accepted: Transmission Downloaded.’_

_As Dio downloaded the data he had hacked the computer for, the vision faded away._

When Phi awoke she was lying sprawled on the floor where she had fallen off the yellow seat. She didn’t know how much time had passed since she had collapsed. First things first: she had to check on Sigma. Anything could have happened to him while she had been unconscious.

Sigma was still lying on the sofa. However, he seemed to have improved slightly. As Phi approached his eyes opened and he began to speak.

“Phi… Why… are… you… moving… so… fast…?”

The entire sentence took almost 2 minutes to say. Before Phi could reply – she didn’t even know how she would answer that question – Sigma’s eyes closed again. Still, his vital signs were still strong and his brief activity was proof that he was improving.

Phi returned to the main computer screen. The events of that vision were still vividly engraved in her mind. She had seen, without quite understanding how she could have seen it, an exploit that would allow her to break into Zero’s computer system and finally access the archived footage and finally find out everything that had happened during the Nonary Game. She finally had the chance to find out what had happened to Tenmyouji, Clover and, most importantly, Quark.

Just as Dio had done, Phi started by opening the command-line. Hesitantly, she typed in computer code, trying to match the steps Dio had used. Eventually, after triple-checking the code, Phi was sure it was ready. She pressed enter.

‘Security Clearance Accepted: Archived Footage Unlocked.’

 

Phi trawled through the database of footage from the security cameras. The filenames weren’t particularly indicative: each one consisted of one number designating the camera that had recorded the footage and another number that was possibly the timestamp. Phi, with nothing better to choose with, picked a video at random.

The video player expanded to fill the screen. At first, the video appeared to be blank, with only the gradually advancing timer proving that the video was playing. But then the room on the screen was suddenly illuminated, and Phi saw that it was the rec room. For the first time since the main screen had turned on, the room wasn’t empty. Tenmyouji and Clover were there, paused in various stages of solving the puzzle. It was clear from their expressions that they hadn’t expected the lights to go out or come on again.

Tenmyouji strode urgently across the room towards the camera’s viewpoint, and Phi peered at the bottom of the image to see what he was walking towards. It was indistinct, but there was some object just peeking over the bottom edge of the image. As Phi focused on it she was able to make it out. It was a green helmet with off-white boxes attached to either side.

It was Quark.

Tenmyouji reached Quark and guided him back to the centre of the room. Quark followed him passively. As Quark moved into the scope of the camera Phi was able to see the blank gloomy expression in his eyes and his limply outstretched arm pointing towards where the rec room’s light switch was below the camera. It was clear that Quark had been the one to turn the lights off and on again. It was also clear that he had no conscious idea why.

Tenmyouji knelt down to speak to Quark, but on getting only a minimal response he shook his head ruefully, leaned Quark against the side of the pool table in the centre of the room and rejoined Clover in solving the puzzle. Quark and Phi both watched as Tenmyouji and Clover got together everything they needed to find the password and open up the safe. Once the safe was open, Clover quickly took the key to open the exit door, while Tenmyouji rejoined Quark. With gentle, patient coaxing, Tenmyouji led Quark along and followed Clover out of the room.

These were the moments just before Quark had disappeared. Phi had to see what had happened next. She switched video and was able to follow Tenmyouji, Clover and Quark through the lower floor warehouse and back to the elevator – though Phi did need multiple attempts to find the camera that showed the primary-coloured Chromatic Doors. Phi watched as the elevator arrived and the three players stepped in and the elevator door closed.

Then, only a minute later, the elevator doors opened again.

Quark tumbled out, his eyes darting around as though nightmares were chasing him. This was the moment where the Radical-6 induced terrors had overcome him entirely. Fleeing whatever horrors he had hallucinated, Quark swayed from side to side as he tried to decide which door to run through, until eventually he tripped and fell to the left. From there, he chose the green Chromatic Door by default.

Phi switched cameras again. Quark was heading for the room Sigma had searched: the gaulem bay. The camera for that room was easier for Phi to find because it had been one of those whose live feed had been displayed during the puzzle.

The video Phi found started with Quark already in the room. He was knelt down against the central workbench of the gaulem bay, his arms wrapped defensively around his head and helmet. He was shaking in fear.

It was obvious to Phi what had got Quark so scared and she felt for him. A skeletal robot loomed over the boy, acrid smoke floating around its jaw. More gaulems surrounded Quark, lining either wall. No wonder he was terrified. Phi wouldn’t wish that on anyone, least of all someone undergoing an episode of Radical-6.

Phi was wondering what had happened next – why they hadn’t found Quark there in the gaulem bay when they had searched – when suddenly static exploded across the video footage. When the screen stabilised again, the video had skipped ahead. The change in the image onscreen proved that.

Luna had suddenly appeared in the gaulem bay. It was like she had been created from thin air.

Phi watched, her heart pounding, as Luna raised her arm in a sweeping motion towards the ceiling. As Luna’s hand rose, the gaulems along the walls rose along with it. Then, a crane descended from the ceiling and dragged the gaulem on the workbench away as well. It was Luna who had removed the gaulems, and she did it with only a single gesture.

The video skipped again.

Now Luna was knelt down by Quark. He cowered away from her.

The video skipped a third time.

Luna was standing again. She cast her shadow over Quark’s face as she retrieved something from her pocket. Phi zoomed in to see what it was. It was only when Phi had zoomed in to the full extent that the software allowed that she recognised the item that Luna held. She recognised it, and shivered.

 _An image flashed through Phi’s mind. She saw Luna standing over someone else – over_ her _– with the same incongruously serene expression on her face and the same threatening item in her hand. Phi’s arm stung where that item – that injection gun – had been stabbed into her. As the chemical inside the vial took effect, the image faded away._

Phi was convinced. Luna was about to do exactly the same to Quark. She was about to attack Quark. But she had done so several hours ago. It had been Luna who had caused Quark to vanish. And, by separating Quark from the rest of the players, it was Luna who had prevented Tenmyouji and Clover from going through the white Chromatic Door. Luna had murdered them.

Phi continued watching the video, waiting for her expectations to be confirmed. But then, just as Luna began to bend over, the video skipped again. It did not recover.

The command-line interface sprung up again, obstructing the view of the video. It was not Phi who had opened it. And, though line after line of text appeared in the interface, it was not Phi who was typing. Someone else had hacked in and taken control of the system.

The window where the video of the gaulem bay was displayed suddenly closed. The list of available videos was brought back to the fore. Then the code swept across it as well: first the video of the gaulem bay was deleted, then the other videos Phi had watched, including those she had accidently picked while searching; finally the wave of deletion spread until every last video in the archive was purged.

 

Phi sunk lower in the seat, exhaling with frustration. She’d hacked into Zero’s computer for nothing. She had discovered that Luna had been the one to attack Quark but, with Luna dead and with no way to find where Quark actually was, that was useless.

In her despair, Phi wondered who it was who had deleted the archives. Zero had a motive, but he could have deleted the records before Phi even found them. Luna would also have had a motive – it had been her crime that Phi was trying to investigate – but she was dead. Phi also wondered how the attacker had managed to access the system. They hadn’t yet found any room other than the security office where that was possible; finding one could go a long way toward identifying the hacker.

Phi’s pondering was interrupted by a sharp gasp of air behind her. Sigma had stirred. “Ugh… What… happened?” Sigma murmured.

Phi turned to see Sigma rising into a sitting position on the sofa. He shook his head groggily. Phi ran over to make sure there were no lingering effect of whatever it was that had afflicted him, but Sigma brushed away her attempts to check his pulse.

Instead, Phi settled for asking, “Are you okay?”

Sigma nodded. “Um-hmm. Oh… your voice is normal again…” Phi didn’t have any idea what he meant by that. “Yeah, I’m fine,” Sigma continued, “Don’t worry about it.”

“That’s good,” Phi replied, “You really looked like you’d lost it for a minute there.”

“This is the security office. Maybe they have a lost and found?” Sigma quipped. Then, he stared past Phi towards the main screen. “What were you doing when I woke up?”

“I was looking at things on the main computer,” Phi said, morosely and intentionally vague, “I was trying to access recorded footage from the camera, but…”

Sigma hobbled over to the main array of screens to investigate. “Oh… It’s all been erased. Damnit…” he said as he looked at the still-open window which had once showed the filenames of the videos. Then, he peered at something at the bottom right corner of the screen, just peeking out from behind the open window. “Hey, Phi! Can you open this for me?”

Phi did so. A new window opened, overshadowing the previous one. The title at the top read, ‘Gaulem Status.’

“‘Gaulem’?” Phi muttered, “So those robots are controlled from here as well.”

“I guess so,” Sigma replied. He pointed his finger down towards the touchscreen and swept it along the alpha-numeric designations of the robots. Most of them were inactive, with no data attached, but Sigma stopped on one that was different.

“Gotcha! ‘GTM-CM-G-OLM’!” Sigma exclaimed, somehow managing to say the entire string of letters in one fluent go. “The gaulem we met is still alive!”

Phi tilted her head to one side. “I thought you told me that ‘G-OLM’ or whatever it was called was deactivated by Zero. You said he started spitting smoke and keeled over.”

“Yeah. But… that was just his body. His mind was in the main computer so it’s still functioning, I guess. Can we see his logs?”

Phi double-clicked on G-OLM’s designation. Another window appeared, displaying various factors and variables related to the complex programming that made up the gaulem. Not knowing how it all worked, Phi didn’t want to mess with it, but there was one option that looked promising: a folder labelled ‘Cache’. Phi opened it.

Her choice was rewarded. Inside the cache was a collection of files with the same file-type as the recorded surveillance footage. The filenames even had a similar format, though the numbers weren’t the ones she recognised from before. Phi clicked on one at random and opened it up at random.

“This is…” Phi muttered softly as a video started playing onscreen. The video showed a bright red figure – that could only be K – standing over two indistinct hunched-over figures in the floor B warehouse.

“Yeah,” Sigma said, “This is probably right after K decked us. Hm… I wonder how we were so lucky that the first video we looked at showed us on it?”

Phi chuckled softly. “Maybe the robot was stalking you?”

As they watched, the video played forward. K lifted Phi onto his shoulder and dragged Sigma by the leg, carrying them forward until he could place them behind the leftmost white Chromatic Door. Then, just before all three Chromatic Doors closed again, K joined Dio behind the rightmost one.

“Well, at least we know K and Dio made it through the doors safely,” Sigma commented. As he said that the video ended and they returned to G-OLM’s cache.

“This must be footage that G-OLM pulled from the main server,” Phi explained, “Because they weren’t in the main database they survived the deletion. Let’s have a look at some of the others.”

 

The next video Phi selected showed room two of the crew quarters: the room where Alice and Luna had died. The camera was mounted high on the back wall just above where their bodies had been, so even if the video was showing events after their deaths the bodies would not be visible.

It was quickly confirmed that the recording was taken before Luna’s death when she entered through the cabin door. Luna was quickly followed in by Clover. As Clover advanced across the room, purposefully and fiercely, Luna backed away until both of them entered the camera’s blind-spot. With no-one left onscreen, nothing happened.

“Any chance we can fast forward this?” Sigma asked.

Phi did so. After a short while, Clover reappeared and darted; Phi’s reactions were just quick enough to slow the video before Clover disappeared out of the room so she and Sigma were able to catch Clover’s panicked expression as she turned past the door. There was no sign of Luna.

About half a minute after Clover had left, Dio appeared. Just as Clover and Luna had, he too disappeared below the bottom of the video’s frame. Just as Clover had, Dio reappeared a few moments later and raced out.

“What was Dio up to?” Sigma asked.

“I don’t know,” Phi replied, “But whatever it was, he doesn’t want us to know about it. Remember when we met him in the lower floor warehouse? He said he had been there the entire time. We now know he was lying.”

“That makes…” Sigma stopped speaking and scratched the side of his head. “Wait. Couldn’t this video have been taken at some other time? I mean, we don’t know for certain that this was when Dio was supposed to be waiting for us in the warehouse.”

“No,” Phi interrupted, “That’s the only possibility for when this video is taking place. Let’s keep watching; you’ll see.”

They kept watching. Shortly after Dio left, K appeared onscreen. “Oh!” Sigma exclaimed, “I get it! This must be when he tried to resuscitate Luna! So, Luna’s already…”

“Yeah, if you believe him. The important thing is to watch everything before you try to deduce anything. If you start too quickly, all you’re going to do is jump to incorrect conclusions.”

Once again, K disappeared off the edge of the screen. He was there much longer than the others had been: over quarter of an hour which Phi sped the footage through. But eventually K slowly walked back into view before turning left out of door. The video ended.

“Is that it?” Sigma asked exasperatedly.

Phi nodded. “It’s enough. We already know what happens next: K finds us by the AB Rooms and tells us about Luna. More importantly, we’ve seen enough to tell us something rather interesting.”

“You mean who killed Luna, right?”

“Exactly.” Phi turned away from Sigma, a pensive expression showing on her face. “Well, the footage makes for very shaky evidence. But it’s still the case that Luna was alive at the start and dead when it finished, and the video does suggest a very likely culprit.” Phi had already worked out who was the most likely suspect but she decided to give Sigma another chance to exercise his brain. “You’ve got three options: Clover, Dio or K. Who do you think it was?”

Sigma stood there pensively for many minutes. Eventually he replied. “The person who killed Luna was… it has to be Clover.”

Sigma’s answer was correct. To make sure that it wasn’t a fluke – getting correct a one-in-three chance was hardly proof of genius – Phi asked, “Okay: what makes you think that? Luna could have still been alive after Clover left the room.”

Sigma shook his head. “That would mean Luna spent… what, half an hour just standing in the corner of the room under the camera?  Why would she do that? She was only in that corner because she’d backed up there after Clover had threatened her. Anyway, we already know Clover had a motive to murder Luna: she was certain that Luna had murdered Alice.

“There’s one other thing as well, which I’d missed earlier. Do you remember how Dio was acting when the white doors were about to open? He was really angry at us because we wanted to wait for Tenmyouji, Clover, and Quark. But he didn’t seem at all surprised that we weren’t waiting for Luna. He knew Luna was dead, which means K couldn’t have killed her. And if he’d murdered Luna himself, he would have tried to pretend that he thought she was still alive.

“So, Luna was already dead when Dio entered the crew quarters. And going by the footage, that means Clover killed her.”

Sigma was getting smarter. He’d caught on to everything Phi had noticed and come to the same conclusion.

“That’s what I thought, too,” Phi said, “My guess is that Clover took Luna to the crew quarters to interrogate her. Maybe she thought that seeing Alice’s body would make Luna confess. But Luna didn’t. Then, during the interrogation, something happened. It’s hard to say what, but it ends up with Clover injecting Luna using the injection gun.”

 

Phi checked the other videos in the gaulem’s cache, but none of them were useful. The vast majority of them showed empty rooms, occasionally with someone entering from one side and hurrying out the next. One video showed more, but only because it was footage of Phi and Sigma solving the security room’s puzzle; it was equally useless. Phi knew that she couldn’t have expected a mindless robot to have made meaningful decisions on which parts of the surveillance archive to cache.

Therefore, Phi and Sigma would have to leave the security office if they wanted to find out more. They left via the exit door and quickly found themselves deposited back in the lower floor’s warehouse. It looked like they had found the furthest extent of the facility, with no more rooms to find or puzzles to solve.

K and Dio had almost certainly finished their puzzle first, given their head-start while Phi and Sigma had been recovering from being knocked unconscious. Therefore, Phi and Sigma took the direct path straight back to the upper floor warehouse, in the hope that the other two players would be waiting for them there.

They weren’t. The upper floor warehouse was empty.

“No-one’s here,” Sigma muttered. He banged his fist recklessly against one of the AB Room doors. “We’re losing everyone!”

Phi sighed. She had to remain the composed one. “Let’s start looking. There are plenty of reasons why they might not have come back here. They might even have been here and left again. Let’s go and have a look at the room that they found behind their white Chromatic Door. We might find a clue about where they went.”

They took the elevator back to floor B and returned to the warehouse. When they approached the rightmost door – the one they had seen K and Dio enter – it opened automatically. If Phi understood the Nonary Game rules correctly, that was proof that they had successfully solved the puzzle.

Stepping through the Chromatic Door, Phi came upon another door, this one bearing a holographic nameplate.

“‘Director’s Office’…” Phi mused.

“I hope it has one of those chairs,” Sigma said, “I’ve always wanted to sit in it one day and say stuff like ‘Action!’ or ‘Cut!’ or ‘Do it again, with more oomph this time! More Oomph!’”

“That’s not very likely; this isn’t a movie set. And given that ‘Director’ probably refers to Zero Sr., that image of him marching us around like that is rather disturbing.”

“Maybe Zero Sr. will be in there when we go in?” Sigma wondered. He stepped forward. “Okay, I’m gonna open it.”

They entered the director’s office to find a spacious, well-furnished room with a luxuriously thick red carpet. No-one was in there. Most of the furniture had been ransacked or arranged as part of the puzzle that K and Dio had solved but one item drew Phi’s eye. On the desk in the corner of the room was a small personal computer and though it had been turned on the only thing displayed was a login screen. The computer had not yet been accessed.

Sigma joined Phi in inspecting the computer. “What the hell is this?” he muttered, “A lion… no, two lions… no, a lion with two heads… is eating a sun? I swear that’s supposed to mean something, but… na, I’ve got nothing. Phi, do you want to have a go?”

“Sure. I’ll give it a shot.” Phi sat down and typed the first ID and password that came into her mind. Since it was just a random guess, it failed. “Yeah, just as I thought. We can’t get anywhere with this until we actually know a username and password. Might as well forget about this thing for now. Let’s look around and see if we can find any other clues. This is the director’s office, after all. There has to be _something_ in here.”

Phi stood up and turned away from the computer screen. She gazed around, surveying the room. And then she suddenly heard the keyboard clacking behind her; Phi spun back around to see what was going on.

Sigma was sat in the chair that Phi had vacated, his hands poised confidently over the keys. Phi could see what he had inputted: an ID of ‘GTFDML016’ and the password ‘MILKEVOLI’. Sigma pressed enter. The login was accepted.

“How did you figure out the login?!” Phi roared.

Sigma jumped in his seat. “I… don’t know. I just knew it… It just came to me. Um… Look, can you just forget about that? We should take a look at what’s on the computer.”

Phi wanted to press harder. Something stopped her. The way Sigma had accessed the director’s computer was too similar to the way Phi had hacked the security computer. Sigma hadn’t seen the latter so Phi would have the advantage in any argument. But still: Phi felt as though there was something more important than being suspicious of Sigma.

Phi peered over Sigma’s shoulder as he messed around with the computer. Searching randomly, he didn’t seem to be getting anywhere.

“Hey, Sigma. Maybe you should try searching for that ID you put in,” Phi suggested, “Maybe you’ll find something.” She was sure that searching for that string of characters – ‘GTFDML016’ – would yield something important. There was something unnervingly familiar about it.

Sigma searched as Phi had asked. The results appeared and Phi glared at the top-most one.

“‘Gaulem Unit Details: GTF-DM-L-016’? Why would the ID for a user account be the same as a designation for a robot?” Phi muttered. She frowned. Then, her voice going cold and stern without her intending it to, Phi ordered, “Sigma. Open that up. We _have_ to know what’s in there.”

Sigma did so. The file opened up. The first thing displayed was a photo.

It was a photo of the gaulem GTF-DM-L-016.

It was a photo of Luna.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_I changed this section around quite a lot from the game, because there they wander around a lot first before they find out about Luna and the pacing didn't sit right with me._

 


	62. Methodical

Luna was a robot.

_Images flashed again through Phi’s mind. This time, they came with context. Phi stood opposite Luna, her back pressed against the infirmary wall. Phi was cornered._

_“Because… Phi… I’m a robot. I’m the robot,” Luna said. That single statement brought imminent terror to Phi’s heart._

_Phi leapt forward, but she was too slow to escape. Luna’s hand reached out and forced the injection gun it was holding into a vein in Phi’s arm._

_Phi fell back as quickly as she had charged forward. Soon, the only thing Phi could control was her own voice. Using all the energy she had left, Phi spoke. “You lied to me!_ _You pretended you were on my side! You’re working for Zero!” Then the Soporil took hold, and Phi’s vision went blank._

Phi understood that vision would be the inevitable result of Luna’s exposure if Luna got the chance. She had to do anything she could to prevent it. Phi concentrated, re-evaluating everything she had learned so far in light of the new discovery. 

Luna, who had probably murdered Alice and the old lady, was a robot. Luna, who had kidnapped Quark and hidden him from the rest of the players, was nothing but a soulless program slaved to Zero Jr.’s AI. Luna, who Clover had attacked using an injection gun full of turbocuarine, had a body consisting of little more than a fake veneer of skin over a metal frame. And that meant…

“Luna’s not dead,” Phi stated flatly.

“Huh?” Sigma gasped. He shook his head. “But we saw… Luna’s body… Clover…”

“Think rationally for a moment, Sigma!” Phi interrupted, “We only saw that Luna was poisoned. What on earth did you expect a muscle relaxant to do to a gaulem? It wouldn’t even tickle her.”

“But Luna’s body was just lying in the crew quarters for hours,” Sigma countered, “She wasn’t moving at all!”

Phi sighed. “That was to sell the deception. Luna’s been lying to us from the very start. Pretending to be a person. That’s the only reason she wasn’t moving. When it’s to her advantage, she’ll reactivate.” Phi shivered as she imagined what would happen after that.

Sigma picked up on Phi’s discomfort. “Is it really that bad if Luna’s still alive? So many people have died or gone missing that…”

“And Luna had something to do with every single one of them!” Phi snapped, shaking with frustration, “I know it! Did you completely forget everything I said earlier?” Phi angrily reiterated all the evidence she had found that Luna had murdered the old lady and then killed Alice. “And since Luna didn’t die when we thought she did, she could have done a lot more afterwards.”

Phi saw something on the screen that corroborated her claim and pointed it out with contentious vigour. “Read this, Sigma. ‘Gaulem status: Currently Operational – Executing special mission.’ That special mission has to be participating in this game and killing us off as it goes along. Luna’s a gaulem working for Zero Sr., and you’re an idiot if you’re anything less than scared by that.”

Sigma grimaced and bowed his head. “I dunno… Everything you’re saying makes sense, but I can’t bring myself to hate Luna like that. I want to trust her. What if her mission was just to observe us? Make sure that we don’t go off track during the Nonary Game? Something like that? That wouldn’t be too bad, would it?”

“Are you kidding me?! The Nonary Game has been about killing us from the very start. Assisting it is evil, however you look at it. Not that Luna cares about that. You know why? Because! She’s! A! Robot!”

Phi’s outburst was punctuated by an announcement from the loudspeakers. “An Ambidex Gate had been opened. Forty-five minutes remain until Ambidex polling closes.”

“Well, we should go,” Sigma said softly, “That’s probably K and Dio.”

Phi agreed. If K and Dio had returned to the upper floor warehouse then she needed to go and join them. K and Dio needed to be told everything she had found out about Luna, or they would remain in terrible danger. Phi hadn’t mentioned the deletion of the security room’s surveillance footage to Sigma – with no evidence he would probably only accuse her of making it up – but it was clear that Luna was responsible for that as well. Hopefully K and Dio would believe her where Sigma hadn’t.

 

Phi and Sigma returned to the floor A warehouse but found no sign of K and Dio. Only two things indicated that anyone had been there at all since the last time Phi had been there. First, one Ambidex Room had been opened: the left-most one that had originally been Luna’s and had contained the body of the old lady. The second was a solitary Ambidex Keycard that had been abandoned on the floor at the centre of the room.

Phi paused fretfully as she saw that keycard. Why would Dio and K just drop it? For that matter, why would they open up an Ambidex Room and then leave? Dio in particular would have just gone into the room and voted. Phi didn’t understand what was going on; that worried her intensely.

Sigma gazed around the room and murmured, “Where are they? I was so sure K and Dio would be here.” He turned to look expectantly at Phi. “Well, we’ve got plenty of time before we have to vote. What should we do, Phi?”

“We’ll have to go look for them,” Phi replied, “There’s plenty of other things we have to look at as well. Let’s start with the crew quarters and then work our way across.”

Phi led Sigma through the cyan door and in to the crew quarters. With a determined spin of its handwheel, Phi forced opened the door to cabin number two and strode inside. Alice’s body was still propped against the far wall; it was exactly where they had left it.

Luna’s body was not. Luna had vanished from the room entirely.

“Luna… So she is alive…” Sigma muttered.

“Yeah,” Phi replied. She paused. Then, she spoke solemnly. “We’re going to have to keep an eye out for Luna as we search the facility. If we see her… just run, Sigma. Get back up here and lock yourself in that AB Room. I’ll try and… I don’t know: distract her or hold her off or something.”

Sigma gasped. “It can’t be that serious, can it? I’m sure Luna can’t be that dangerous.”

“We have no idea of what she’s capable of. Keep that in mind, Sigma. Please.” Phi didn’t see any indication on Sigma’s face that the severity of the situation had sunk in, but there was nothing else she could do. “We should check out the infirmary next. Let’s go.”

When Phi and Sigma entered the infirmary there was no immediate sign that anything was wrong. Still, something was subtly off. As Phi gazed around, she realised that the privacy screen that K had placed around the old lady’s body just after the first Ambidex Game had been returned to its original location. In fact, it had been stretched out further so that, upon entering, Phi and Sigma could only see half the room. Wondering why the screen had been placed like that, Phi forced it aside.

Then Phi froze in despair, unable to let go of the screen or move it back.

The screen had been moved to conceal the area of infirmary that contained the sink. There, sitting next to the sink’s drainpipe, were Tenmyouji and Clover. Their hands were chained together by a pair of handcuffs that looped over the bend in the pipe. They were clearly dead.

“Oh God…” Sigma exclaimed, “So that’s why they never made it to the white Chromatic Doors. They were trapped here. Goddamnit.”

“Whoever cuffed them probably intended to kill them using the penalty when the doors closed,” Phi explained, “See the red marks around their wrists? They must have been trying to get the handcuffs off, even to the point of injuring themselves.”

Sigma shivered and cradled his own wrist empathetically. “They must have been really desperate, huh?” He paused, and then pointed to Tenmyouji’s left hand: the one that wasn’t in the cuffs but instead dangled loosely by his side. “There’s a cut there from a knife or something similar… Someone must have sliced it pretty viciously. Who was it?”

Phi already had her suspicions, but she wanted evidence to make sure. To get that evidence, Phi would have to search the bodies. She started by searching Clover’s. There were no suspicious items or other wounds on Clover’s body but as Phi adjusted Clover’s shoulders to get a closer look Clover’s knees fell apart uncovering a red marking on Clover’s right thigh. It wasn’t a wound; the skin hadn’t been broken.

It was Clover’s dying message. Written in blood on Clover’s thigh were the numbers ‘016’.

Sigma also peered at the numbers on Clover’s leg. “‘016’…  What’s that about? Why did Clover write that?”

“Don’t you see, Sigma? Clover was trying to tell us who killed her.”

“I don’t get it,” Sigma said with confusion, “Wouldn’t she write a name if she was trying to do that?”

“In a way, she did.” When Phi’s statement elicited only a blank look from Sigma, she continued, “Do you remember Luna’s gaulem ID? The last three numbers were ‘016’. Exactly what Clover wrote for us to find.”

“Then you’re saying that Luna handcuffed them together?”

Phi sighed. “Please don’t tell me you haven’t even considered it. Get it into your head, Sigma: Luna’s dangerous.”

Sigma turned his head away and changed the subject. “Let’s just examine Tenmyouji, already.”

Phi did so. Her search didn’t find anything immediately, which surprised her. “That’s strange. I can’t find anything. You remember when we ran into Tenmyouji in the rec room. He sprayed our wrists with Luminol. Why doesn’t he still have it?”

“Do you think the killer took it?” Sigma asked.

“It’s possible,” Phi replied, “It’s also possible that someone else came across Tenmyouji and Clover before us. By the looks of it, Tenmyouji was spraying everyone looking for blood on their bracelet, so it’s likely that most of us knew he had the Luminol and what he was looking for.”

Sigma gasped. “Oh! So whoever took the Luminol probably went straight to the rec room to use it. If they weren’t the killer, then they would have wanted to carry on searching for what Tenmyouji was looking for. They might be there right now!”

“Good thinking, Sigma. Shall we go?” Phi stood up to leave. But as she let go of Tenmyouji, he fell to the side and something spilled across the floor.

It was a bracelet. The screen displayed the number ‘9’. The bracelet was Quark’s.

“No…” Phi whispered. That the bracelet was no longer on Quark’s wrist could only mean one thing… that Quark was dead. Phi’s mind turned on itself. She wouldn’t accept that. She couldn’t accept that. “Shut up!” Phi yelled, though she hadn’t heard what Sigma had been saying, “Calm down! Calm down! Calm down!” Phi’s voice rose with every single word. “Just because his bracelet’s off doesn’t mean Quark’s dead! This could be _good_ news. A ray of hope!”

“But…”

“If Quark still had his bracelet on,” Phi continued, not even noticing Sigma’s presence, “then he would have ended up like Tenmyouji and Clover. He’s not wearing it. He might have avoided getting injected with turbocuarine.” Looking at the bracelet Phi saw tiny trickles of a clear liquid – though half of Phi was convinced that it had to be impossible to see such minute detail and that she was just imagining it – that could have been where the needle of the bracelet injected their contents into nothing but air. “Quark’s alive. He’s alive. He has to be.”

Phi believed what she said. She committed herself to find Quark and getting him out alive. She had to. She would have gone mad otherwise.

 

Phi and Sigma made their way to the rec room. They didn’t see Luna at all on the way there, to Phi’s considerable relief. Less reassuringly, they didn’t see K or Dio either. When they reached the rec room, they realised why that was the case.

K and Dio were there. K and Dio were dead.

Dio was pinned to the wall by the lance embedded in his stomach. His head hung lifelessly, though his top hat remained attached to his head. K lay at Dio’s feet. The great-axe which had killed him was lodged in the back of K’s neck, an entire half of the head buried in K’s armour.

“We’re the only survivors,” Sigma muttered.

“Don’t make me keep saying it,” Phi snapped, “Quark’s alive too.”

“You’re right,” Sigma said, “Let’s just see what happened here and move on.” Sigma paused thoughtfully and then glanced at Phi. “You’re gonna say that Luna did this, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” Phi replied bluntly, “Who else is there? Us and Quark. We didn’t do it…”

At that Sigma squinted at Phi funnily, but didn’t say anything.

“… and if you’re suggesting Quark did it, that’s ridiculous. Just look at them. Do you think a child Quark’s size could do that? Let’s just have a look and see if we can find any clues. We should probably start by turning the lights out and looking for Luminol, since that’s what brought us here.”

“But there’s blood everywhere,” Sigma said, “If it all reacts to Luminol we won’t be able to tell what we are looking for.”

“That’s okay. We’re only looking for Luminol in one specific place. Just under the bracelet, like when Tenmyouji tested us. Besides, not all the blood will glow. Just the places where Luminol was actually sprayed.” Phi explained.

Sigma walked over and turned off the lights. Phi saw what she was looking for immediately. Dio’s bracelet glowed. Once Sigma had seen it as well he turned the lights back on.

“I guess it was Dio that Tenmyouji was looking for,” Sigma said as he walked back over, “Tenmyouji said something like, ‘You’re not Zero Sr.’ after checking us. Do you think that means that Dio is Zero Sr.?”

“It’s possible,” Phi replied, “but I’m not sure. You would think Zero Sr. would have more safeguards against getting killed like this inside his own game. Anyway, we should search them to see if we can learn anything else.”

Phi started searching Dio. A quick rummage in Dio’s pockets brought up two interesting items. The first item was a bloodstained combat knife.

“Where the hell did that come from?!” Sigma exclaimed as Phi drew it from Dio’s longcoat. He peered closer. “Wait. There’s something engraved on the side. ‘Myrmidons’… what’s that supposed to mean? Is it the name of the manufacturer?”

“I dunno. Something about that word seems familiar, but I’ve no idea where I heard it before. Something more important, though: have a guess at what the dimensions of the blade are.” Phi presented the blade so Sigma could get a clear look.

“Hmm… It’s about fifteen centimetres long and…” A flash of recognition burst in Sigma’s eye. “You’re kidding me. 150mm by 30mm by 3mm, right?”

“That’s right,” Phi replied, “Exactly the dimensions of the wound in the old lady. This is probably the knife that killed her.”

“Why on Earth did Dio have that?” Sigma asked.

“Well,” Phi said, “we know Alice had the knife at one point. She found it when the Ambidex Room was moved, remember? I guess we now know what Dio was doing in the crew quarters when we watched that video in the security room. He was picking up this knife. No wonder he didn’t want anyone to know he was there.”

“How did Dio know Alice had it?” Sigma gestured frustratedly. “I mean, it took us ages to work that out, and that was with Clover’s prompting.”

“I don’t know if Dio even knew that this was the knife that killed the old lady. Thing is, this was also the knife that killed Alice.” Phi pointed at the streaks of red on the flat of the blade. “This bloodstain is more recent than when the old lady must have died. Look at the handle as well. It’s plain, but this is the same handle as on the knife that was in Alice.”

Phi then took the other item out of Dio’s pocket. It was a strange metal mechanism with a complicated key-like pattern at the narrow end. The pair of sturdy yellow handles at the other end were presumably there to allow the entire device to be easily rotated.

“Let’s have a look at that,” Sigma exclaimed as soon as he saw it. When Phi passed the device to him he examined it all over before smiling weakly. “This is that key. We found it in the gaulem bay. I didn’t have any idea what it was for, though, so I let Alice hang on to it. Dio must have got it from her as well.” As Sigma turned the key to peer down the end he suddenly froze. “Wait… This looks familiar. Is this K’s key?”

“You mean for his suit?” Phi pointed at the hole on the back of K’s helmet. “Let’s have a try.”

Sigma knelt over K and carefully held the key above the slot in the helmet. He gingerly lowered it down. The key fitted perfectly. “Yeah! I was right.” Then Sigma gripped the handles and tried to yank them around. “Goddamnit! Why won’t this budge?!”

“It’s obviously not going to turn,” Phi stated, “There’s an axe in the mechanism. That’s not going to do it any good. I guess we won’t get to see what K looks like after all.”

“I dunno,” Sigma replied, “We can always guess. I get the feeling I should know what he looks like. Like I’ve seen him before, even though I haven’t. Maybe he reminds me of myself a little. He should look a little like me.”

“You’re kidding, right.” Phi laughed softly despite herself. “He’s clearly a lot younger.”

Sigma tilted his head. “You mean… like Quark’s age? That can’t be right. Well, you’re entitled to your opinion.”

 

Suddenly an announcement played and halted their conversation. “Ten minutes remain until Ambidex Game polling closes. All players please enter your votes. If no vote is recorded before the deadline, all non-voting parties will automatically ally.”

As the announcement finished, it triggered within Phi a horrified realisation. In her haste to investigate K’s and Dio’s deaths she had missed something very important. “Oh damnit… Luna was the one who opened the AB Room. She must have taken the keycard from Dio and K after killing them. I don’t know why she opened it, but…” Phi fleetingly imagined many possible motives that Luna could have had but found herself unable to completely understand any of them and so trailed off. “Well, whatever. We have to go and vote. The game hasn’t stopped, so if we don’t we’ll be penalised.”

Phi and Sigma raced back to the upper floor warehouse. There was no sign of Luna along the way. When they arrived the leftmost Ambidex Room was still open; Phi raced inside and waited only until Sigma had just crossed the threshold to press the button to close the door.

A harsh buzz and the announcement, “Invalid occupancy detected,” were the only response.

“Oh, of course!” Sigma exclaimed. He pulled Luna’s bracelet from his pocket. “This thing. With this bracelet in the room there’s three of us.” Sigma bent down and placed Luna’s bracelet on the floor before sliding it out of the AB Room; it came to a rest by the AB Keycard that had been abandoned there earlier.

And, as Phi’s eyes reflexively followed the trajectory of the bracelet beyond the place where it had stopped, she caught sight of the cause of her fear.

Luna stood on the far side of the warehouse, the serene remorseless expression still evident on her face. She looked straight towards Phi and Sigma. Then her inhuman gaze lowered until it focused on the bracelet and the keycard.

Phi reacted with instinctive fear. Before she even knew what she had done, she frantically tapped the touchscreen again. The doors closed, separating Phi and Sigma from the gaulem outside.

“What the hell is going on?! Why is Luna here?!” Sigma shouted. He was still facing the closed door so that it seemed as though he was asking his questions to Luna herself.

“She’s probably planning on participating in the Ambidex Game,” Phi replied, “She waited until we ditched her bracelet before revealing herself, after all. With it and the keycard, she can vote.”

“So what’s she going to vote?” Sigma asked.

Phi had only one sensible answer. “‘Betray’. That’s the only thing that makes sense. If she wanted to vote ‘Ally’ she could have just waited for the deadline to pass.”

Sigma’s expression turned thoughtful. “Well, she’s got seven BP…”

“Have you completely lost it?!” Phi yelled, “That doesn’t matter. She hasn’t got her bracelet on. Besides, she’s a gaulem; she isn’t trying to get out. All that could possibly matter to her is keeping our BP below nine!”

Sigma sighed. “Phi… I have to say this… I think you’re wrong.”

“What.”

“I think we can trust Luna,” Sigma said, “She trusted me at the last Ambidex Game. I need to return the favour.”

Phi tried to protest but Sigma was already striding towards the podium. His arm stretched out towards the touchscreen. Phi could already see it in Sigma’s eyes: he was going to vote ‘Ally’.

There was no time left to convince him. If Phi was going to prevent Sigma’s mistake then she would have to press the button first. She had to save them both. She had to… had to…

 

**Choice:**  
**A) Allow Sigma to Vote**  
**B) Beat Sigma to it**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Final Ambidex Game of this route. So, should Phi let Sigma vote or not? Vote in the comments!_

 


	63. Whoops! 5: Triggered Finger

_The vote went all the way up to 5-3, but eventually, beating Sigma to the vote won out._

* * *

Phi had to beat Sigma to it. She had to protect him from the fatal mistake he was about to make. Her finger lashed out towards the touchscreen.

Seeing Phi move, Sigma accelerated as well. Their two fingers slammed into the two buttons together.

The screen went blank. An announcement declared, “Your vote has been recorded. Thank you for your participation.” And Phi had no idea what their vote actually was.

Neither did Sigma. “What the hell was that for, Phi?” he asked once he realised what had occurred.

“I’m the one that should be asking you that, Sigma,” Phi countered, “I’ve been telling you over and over again that we have to be wary of Luna and you won’t listen. Why won’t you listen?!”

Sigma’s only response was, “We’ll see.”

The Ambidex Gate opened. Phi approached cautiously, peering around the corners of the doors looking for any sign of an ambush by Luna. There wasn’t any. Phi took a single step out then swept her gaze down the line of AB Rooms, expecting to see Luna leaving her own AB Room. There was no sign of the gaulem.

“That’s odd,” Phi muttered, tense beads of sweat coalescing on her brow, “We came out the moment the gates opened. There’s no way she could have left already.”

“You know, Phi,” Sigma said, “If you think about it, there’s a pretty good answer for that.” He pointed, his arm angling slightly down towards the centre of the warehouse floor.

Phi looked down. The Ambidex Keycard was still there. Luna’s bracelet was still there as well.

“What…?” Phi gasped. She scrambled for some alternate explanation. She knew Luna had remote access to the main computer system; it was possible that Luna didn’t need to use an Ambidex Room to vote. But if so, why would Luna need to show up in the warehouse at all?

Phi’s frantic deliberations were interrupted by the typical announcement playing through the speakers. “Results from round three of the Ambidex Game will now be displayed. Please direct your attention to the results screen.” Phi looked up. She scanned every last row of the table that appeared.

The results shattered her conceptions entirely.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

Clover                             4                           Default                  Penalised              Penalised  
Quark                             9                                                         Penalised              Penalised

Tenmyouji                      4                            Default                  Penalised              Penalised

 

K                                    8                            Default                  Penalised              Penalised  
Dio                                 8                                                         Penalised              Penalised

Alice                               3                            Default                  Penalised              Penalised

 

Phi                                  7                             Ally                          +2                          9  
Sigma                             7                                                             +2                          9

Luna                               7                             Ally                          +2                           9

 

Sigma’s vote had been recorded first. Phi’s attempt to change it had failed. And, when Phi examined the final row of the table, she realised it hadn’t mattered one bit.

Luna had voted ‘Ally’. Rather, she had never voted at all.

“Do you see, Phi?” Sigma said, “I knew Luna wouldn’t betray us. I knew we could trust her.”

“No!” Phi snapped instantly, “There’s something else going on. There has to be. Luna’s a robot!”

“You know, Phi. You keep bringing that up. Again and again and again. It’s almost like you’re trying to deflect from something. Something like…” Sigma’s expression darkened. He took a single step back away from Phi. He gulped, only just loud enough for Phi to hear. “Oh god, no…”

“What?!” Phi glared at Sigma. “You think I did something? I’ve been with you the entire time.”

“That’s true, but…” Sigma looked away pensively. “There was that one point, in the security room, when I fell unconscious. I’ve no idea how long I was out. You could have done anything and I would have had no idea. And when I wake up, K and Dio are dead and all the surveillance files have been deleted.”

“That was Luna as well!” Phi interrupted.

Sigma put on a thin sardonic smile. “See what I mean? Whenever something suspicious happens: ‘Luna, Luna, Luna.’ It’s getting old, Phi. And now you barge past me and try to change my vote. I’ve no idea what the point of that was, but… does that really matter? I’ve gotta be worried about you anyway. You’re the one who taught me that, Phi.”

Phi didn’t respond. Phi couldn’t respond.

“Well, now what? You gonna make a run for the Number Nine Door or something?” Sigma asked.

Phi shook her head fiercely. “No. Quark’s still alive.” – He had to be – “I’m not leaving until we find him.”

“Guess there is still some good in you. I’ll look for him too,” Sigma said. Then he glanced downward. “But I’m searching alone. Stay away from me, Phi. I can’t trust you anymore.”

 

Phi left. She didn’t look back; she could trust that Sigma wouldn’t open the Number Nine Door until Quark was safe. Still, she felt strangely exposed as she walked alone through the lounge and towards the elevator. Sigma would be exposed as well, but there was nothing Phi could do to keep him safe from Luna. All Sigma would do if Phi approached him was panic and that would make him even more vulnerable.

On reaching the bottom of the elevator, Phi turned left, through the green Chromatic Door. The last place she had seen Quark was in the gaulem bay, via the surveillance footage. It was the best place to start.

But as she walked through the green door she noticed something else: something which surprised her. On entering the corridor Phi had direct line of sight to the hub at the end. She could see the three doors that led off it and knew that the door to the gaulem bay was the one on the right. She could also see that the holographic plaque on the far door was active.

Phi’s experience with the hub after the red Chromatic Door – _as well as vague impressions of having been through other Chromatic Doors_ – confirmed that the only plaque that was ever displayed was the plaque of the door that opened. But the far door hadn’t been opened. At least, it shouldn’t have been.

Phi charged down the corridor. She needed to see what the plaque read. She had only seconds to confirm that the words were ‘Treatment Centre’ before it quickly raised open. Phi barrelled through.

Phi _instantly recognised the treatment centre, as though she had been there before. She knew that the only feature of any importance was to be found through the plexiglass window in front of her: the three pods there were combined treatment and cryogenic pods._ Phi raced in.

Her attention was immediately drawn to the computer screens beside the pods. The two closest ones were off, but the third displayed a foreboding message.

‘Recent Operational Records.  
‘-00:09: One subject released.  
‘-05:14: One subject admitted. Treatment administered: inconclusive.  
‘-13:20: One subject released.  
‘-13:38: One subject successfully restored.  
‘-13:48: Cold sleep mode disengaged – beginning restoration of one subject.  
‘All prior records have been erased – Authorisation: admin.’

 _Phi had seen the three oldest codes before: they were records from before the Nonary Game began._ But the other two were new. Someone else had been placed in the pod and then only moments ago had been retrieved.

Phi opened the pod. Only two items lay inside, neither of them a person. The first was a small scrap of aluminium foil. The second, rocking forlornly back and forth, was a small but bulky brown helmet.

It was Quark’s helmet. Quark had been in that pod. Phi yelled Quark’s name.

She got a reply. But that reply was only the deep rumbling of the elevator as it rose away.

 

Phi raced back. Of course, by the time she returned to the elevator shaft the doors had already closed. Phi pressed the button; the elevator did not immediately return. Phi hammered her clenched fist against the button, again and again and futilely again, but it was only after several minutes that the elevator doors opened. Phi entered.

Just before Phi reached the upper floor, a chilling announcement played. “The Number Nine Door has been opened. It will remain open for nine seconds. Nine. Eight…” Phi broke into a sprint. In what felt like no time at all she burst into the warehouse.

No time at all turned out to be far too long.

The Number Nine Door was already halfway closed. Phi could only identify the people on the other side by their leggings: Sigma’s trousers, Luna’s skirt. And also Quark: he was carried in Luna’s arms.

“Quark!” Phi yelled desperately, “Sigma! Get Quark away from Luna! Before it’s too late!”

Phi couldn’t see Sigma’s face but his tone of voice dismissed her enough. “No, Phi. There’s no need for that. Quark’s safe now. I can trust Luna with that. She explained what happened. But I can’t trust you.”

Phi sprinted forward. “Five.” When Phi was only metres out she went into a slide, as she knew she would have to do to get under the door safely. “Four.” It suddenly became clear to Phi that she wouldn’t make it. “Three.” She’d only be halfway through, and the door would crush her legs; that was a risk she had chosen to take. “Two.”

Then, suddenly, the door accelerated, descending the rest of the gap in a blink of an eye, much faster than it had done before; Phi’s legs slammed painfully into it, but were not harmed. “Zero.”

Phi stood up. She banged her fist against the cold steel. “Sigma! Luna! Quark!”

For a moment, Phi thought she could somehow hear Luna’s response through the metre-thick door. Then she realised that Luna’s voice was playing from the speakers throughout the warehouse. “It’s okay, Phi. Don’t worry. We’ll be back for you. Sooner than you think.”

Phi sank to the floor, Luna’s computer-generated reassurance offering nothing of the sort. She’d failed. Quark, as soon as she had found him, had been taken away again by a murderous robot. Sigma was there too, blind to the danger.

And Phi was trapped, alone.

 

**Game Over…**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Welp. That's what you get for not trusting Luna, I guess._

_Barring any objections, I'll restart next fortnight by correcting this last mistake and having Phi allow Sigma to vote instead._


	64. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

_We go back and choose not to interfere with Sigma's vote..._

* * *

Phi restrained herself. Even if she stopped Sigma from making his mistake, they still wouldn’t be able to escape. No important opportunity was lost. So, Phi just watched as Sigma’s finger descended and lightly tapped ‘Ally’.

Even having let Sigma do it, Phi couldn’t let it pass by. “Why the hell did you pick ‘Ally’, Sigma?!” Phi growled, “I’ve been telling you over and over again that we have to be wary of Luna and you won’t listen. Why won’t you listen?!”

Sigma’s only response was, “We’ll see.”

The Ambidex Gate opened. Phi approached cautiously, peering around the corners of the doors looking for any sign of an ambush by Luna. There wasn’t any. Phi took a single step out then swept her gaze down the line of AB Rooms, expecting to see Luna leaving her own AB Room. There was no sign of the gaulem.

“That’s odd,” Phi muttered, tense beads of sweat coalescing on her brow, “We came out the moment the gates opened. There’s no way she could have left already.”

“You know, Phi,” Sigma said, “If you think about it, there’s a pretty good answer for that.” He pointed, his arm angling slightly down towards the centre of the warehouse floor.

Phi looked down. The Ambidex Keycard was still there. Luna’s bracelet was still there as well.

“What…?” Phi gasped. She scrambled for some alternate explanation. She knew Luna had remote access to the main computer system; it was possible that Luna didn’t need to use an Ambidex Room to vote. But if so, why would Luna need to show up in the warehouse at all?

Phi’s frantic deliberations were interrupted by the typical announcement playing through the speakers. “Results from round three of the Ambidex Game will now be displayed. Please direct your attention to the results screen.” Phi looked up. She scanned every last row of the table that appeared.

The results shattered her conceptions entirely.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

Clover                             4                           Default                  Penalised              Penalised  
Quark                             9                                                         Penalised              Penalised

Tenmyouji                      4                            Default                  Penalised              Penalised

 

K                                    8                            Default                  Penalised              Penalised  
Dio                                 8                                                         Penalised              Penalised

Alice                               3                            Default                  Penalised              Penalised

 

Phi                                  7                             Ally                          +2                          9  
Sigma                             7                                                             +2                          9

Luna                               7                             Ally                          +2                           9

 

Sigma had voted ‘Ally’. Phi’s attempt to convince Sigma that Luna was dangerous had failed. And, when Phi examined the final row of the table, she realised it hadn’t mattered one bit.

Luna had voted ‘Ally’. Rather, she had never voted at all.

“Do you see, Phi?” Sigma said, “I knew Luna wouldn’t betray us. I knew we could trust her.”

“No!” Phi snapped instantly, “There’s something else going on. There has to be. Luna’s a robot!”

“You know, Phi. You keep bringing that up, but I don’t think you really believe it’s as bad as all that. If Luna being a robot was really the most important, most dangerous thing in the world to you, you could have stopped me.” Sigma smiled warmly. He took a single step towards Phi. His arm reached out and patted her genially on the shoulder. “But you didn’t. You trusted me. I could see it in your eyes. Thank you.”

“I… maybe,” Phi admitted, “It still doesn’t change the facts about Luna! She…”

“I think you could come to trust Luna, too,” Sigma interrupted, “I think that, once we learn the truth, you’ll be able to give her a chance one day.”

Phi didn’t respond to Sigma’s optimistic statement. On the face of it, Sigma was completely wrong. But, if so, how could Phi possibly explain the choice that Luna had made?

Instead, Phi deflected. “What do you want to do now, Sigma? Are you going to leave?”

“What?! No!” Sigma yelled, “You’re kidding, right? Weren’t you the one who kept going on about how Quark’s still alive? I can’t just run off and leave him here.”

“Good. That was the answer I was hoping you’d give. Let’s get moving.”

 

Phi and Sigma left. They didn’t look back; the Number Nine Door had no interest to either until they had found Quark. Phi kept an eye out for Luna as they walked, but for some reason she felt much less exposed, despite the threat being objectively the same as it had before. Perhaps Sigma’s words had gotten to her.

On reaching the bottom of the elevator, Phi turned left, through the green Chromatic Door. The last place she had seen Quark was in the gaulem bay, via the surveillance footage. It was the best place to start.

But as she walked through the green door she noticed something else: something which surprised her. On entering the corridor Phi had direct line of sight to the hub at the end. She could see the three doors that led off it and knew that the door to the gaulem bay was the one on the right. She could also see that the holographic plaque on the far door was active.

Phi’s experience with the hub after the red Chromatic Door – _as well as vague impressions of having been through other Chromatic Doors_ – confirmed that the only plaque that was ever displayed was the plaque of the door that opened. But the far door hadn’t been opened. At least, it shouldn’t have been.

“Sigma?” Phi asked, “There are three doors here, but you, Alice and Luna only went through the one on the right. The one that took you to the gaulem bay, correct?”

“Yeah,” Sigma said.

“You didn’t go through either of the others? Like, for example, that one?” Phi pointed at the holographic plaque.

“No.”

That was all Phi needed to know. Phi charged down the corridor. She had only seconds to confirm that the words on the door were ‘Treatment Centre’ before it quickly raised open. Phi barrelled through.

Phi _instantly recognised the treatment centre, as though she had been there before. She knew that the only feature of any importance was to be found through the plexiglass window in front of her: the three pods there were combined treatment and cryogenic pods._ Phi raced in.

Her attention was immediately drawn to the computer screens beside the pods. The two closest ones were off, but the third displayed an interesting message.

‘Recent Operational Records.  
‘-05:14: One subject admitted. Treatment administered: inconclusive.  
‘-13:20: One subject released.  
‘-13:38: One subject successfully restored.  
‘-13:48: Cold sleep mode disengaged – beginning restoration of one subject.  
‘All prior records have been erased – Authorisation: admin.’

 _Phi had seen the three oldest codes before: they were records from before the Nonary Game began._ But the other one was new. Someone else had been placed in the pod and left there until the very moment that Phi and Sigma found it.

Once Sigma had caught up, Phi opened the pod lid. The joyful surprise she saw nearly shocked her into dropping the lid back down again.

Quark was inside. Quark was alive.

After taking only a moment to secure Quark’s helmet, Sigma lifted the boy from the bed of the treatment pod, adjusting the carry until he was sure Quark was comfortable. As he did so, a new message appeared:

‘-00:00: One subject released’

It didn’t mean much, being an automated response by a mindless machine. It still mattered to Phi. That message was the Nonary Game itself conceding that she had won.

 

Phi and Sigma briskly took Quark back to the upper floor warehouse. When they arrived, Phi headed straight for the lever of the Number Nine Door. Sigma didn’t follow.

“Sigma!” Phi called out as she turned around, “What are you waiting for?”

Sigma approached, but only slowly. “I was wondering about… Luna. Why did she come up to the warehouse during the Ambidex Game if she wasn’t going to vote?”

“Does it matter? It didn’t amount to anything. Anyway, once we’re out the Number Nine Door she can’t affect us anyway.” In support of her last statement, Phi pulled down the lever.

The Number Nine Door started to rise.

“It’s not like that,” Sigma said, “I think there was some meaning behind Luna appearing there. Benign, but… important. I dunno.”

Phi ducked under the rising steel door when it was high enough for her to do so. “Come on! Worry about that later.”

It was only when the door had opened completely that Sigma hesitantly followed Phi through. He paused, only one step’s length on the safe side of the threshold. “It’s like… Luna meant it as a message to me.”

Sigma took a deep breath in as he focused, steeling his nerves. Then, he leapt.

“Phi! Take Quark!”

Phi couldn’t refuse; Quark had already been bundled into her arms. “What?!”

“There’s something I have to do!” Sigma announced. Then, he did the unimaginable.

He turned and ran back through the Number Nine Door.

“Sigma! Wait!”

Phi almost reached out to grab him; Quark’s weight shifted precariously in her arms. She had no idea what was suddenly so important to him. All Phi could do was watch as Sigma ran further and further from the safety of the Number Nine Door. As the door lowered further, obscuring Sigma from view, Phi was certain that he would reappear. Whatever task Sigma had decided he had to do couldn’t be any further than the warehouse; he would complete it and then return.

But he didn’t.

The Number Nine Door closed. Sigma did not and could not return. And Phi did not and could not do anything.

 

The rumbling crash of the steel door stirred Quark in Phi’s arms. He blinked as he overcame his disorientation and then gazed up. “Huh? Miss Phi? Where are we? Are we out?”

Phi's bracelet answered Quark’s question by falling away from her wrist, but Phi spoke anyway. “Yeah. That’s right.” Phi’s voice was subdued by the sudden shock of losing Sigma and for a moment Phi thought Quark wouldn’t have been able to hear.

Whether Quark had heard or not, he continued asking questions. “Where’s Luna?” His face went even paler than it had been. “Where’s Grandpa?”

“It’s just us, Quark.” Phi didn’t have the mental energy to soften the blow.

Quark went silent. Phi took the time to examine the room they had entered. The vast majority of the floor was given over to a raised platform with a control panel on the far side. The cracks between the platform and the rest of the floor as well as the protective railings made it clear that the platform was an elevator: their way out.

Phi approached the control panel. She needed an arm free in order to operate it so she laid Quark on the floor as comfortably as she could: not very comfortable seeing as the floor was nothing but a cold steel slab. Then, she turned back to the controls and pressed the button that would take them up.

“Miss Phi…” Quark said, “Why didn’t Grandpa make it out? Why is he still trapped in there?”

Phi couldn’t answer. She didn’t want Quark to know the truth. But Phi’s reticence told Quark too much.

“No… Grandpa’s… dead, isn’t he? Please don’t lie to me, Miss Phi.” Quark shook where he lay. “This is after the third round, right? Which means… I should’ve gone through another Chromatic Door. But I didn’t. And…” Quark suddenly burst into a pleading wail. “I’m sorry, Grandpa! It’s all my fault. Because I ran away, you couldn’t get through the door. If I hadn’t, you’d still be…”

Phi wanted to speak. She wanted to tell Quark that it wasn’t his fault, that Quark’s bracelet had made its way to Tenmyouji and that it was Luna or whoever had chained Tenmyouji and Clover together who had been responsible for their deaths. But at the moment Phi opened her mouth the elevator seemed to lurch underneath her, somehow moving faster without accelerating. What had seemed like miles of murky elevator shaft passed by in seconds. By the time the elevator came to a stop, Phi had only managed to say one word.

“Quark…” Phi said as she slowly turned around.

Quark had vanished.

Phi raced forward. There was only one place Quark could have gone: through the single corridor that led away from the top of the elevator shaft. Phi followed what she hoped were Quark’s tracks, paying only enough attention to the pipes spiralling around the walls to make sure that they didn’t slow her down. As Phi continued and the piping grew broader she started to catch up with Quark, hearing the clatter of his footsteps even as the shadows prevented her from seeing him. She redoubled her speed.

Quark heard her as well. “Don’t come after me! I don’t deserve any help!” echoed down the corridor.

Phi ignored Quark’s protests. She had nearly caught up with him; every step brought him more and more into visibility. She reached out a hand to grab him.

Then, Quark dived to the right.

By the time Phi realised what he was doing, Quark had already wriggled into a hatch on the side of the largest pipe. All Phi saw were Quark’s trainers disappearing into the darkness. The pipe was just wide enough to fit Quark, but there was no way Phi could follow. In any case, the pipe soon took sharp turn and dived into the wall.

Phi sank. She’d lost Quark having searched so long to find him. With no way to know where that pipe went, there was no way that she would ever find him again.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_We've reached **Plot Lock 3: Pipe Dream.**  Fortunately, we've already picked up the key, all the way back in chapter 24. As such, I'll see you on the other side in two weeks time._


	65. Endless Struggle

Once Quark had disappeared into the pipe, there was no way for Phi to know where he was going.

_But there was only one place he could have gone. All the pipes around the corridor had to lead to the pressure exchange chamber at the end; Phi was as sure of that as if she had been there before. Even though this was the first time Phi had escaped the facility, she somehow remembered having walked down this corridor, following all the pipes to their end. Some of the pipes were not in use with their ends rusted open; if Quark had entered one of those then Phi needed to get to the pressure exchange chamber before Quark emerged and hid somewhere else. Otherwise…_

Phi broke into a sprint. As she raced along she heard bangs and rattling and yelps from Quark tumbling progress down his pipe; the noises reverberated throughout the walls making it impossible for Phi to pinpoint his location. All Phi could do was continue to run.

Eventually Phi arrived in the preparation room of the chamber. She listened intently for any sign of Quark’s arrival. There was silence.

Then: a scream.

It came from below Phi, in the exchange chamber itself. Phi dived for the small elevator between the two rooms. It descended agonisingly slowly; Phi leapt over the barrier the moment that she could fit between it and the ceiling, falling ungainly to the floor. Her eyes darted around as she raised her head, urgently seeking Quark.

He was on the other side of the blast windows, in the actual airlock. Phi couldn’t actually see him, but one of the pipes – it was about the same width and colouration as the one Quark had entered – rattled violently as the boy struggled inside it. He was just above the point where the pipe entered the machinery of the airlock. The scream came again.

Phi leapt desperately for the airlock door. She threw her palms against the handwheel. The wheel didn’t budge. “Before entering the decompression chamber, please put on your viral protection suit. Failure to do so will prevent you from entering the decompression chamber,” came the announcement.

Damn! Phi had completely forgotten about that. In the time it would take her to return to the prep room and put on a protective suit anything could happen to Quark. Still, Phi didn’t have any other options. She turned to run back to the lift.

Then, she saw it. There, discarded like an old rag into the opposite corner of the room, was another protective suit. It was wildly different from the ones in the lockers upstairs: black instead of orange, with red lines around the seams and a small stylised ‘f’ printed on the left shoulder. It wasn’t one of the suits that belonged with the facility, but hopefully it would be acceptable to the sensors. Phi threw it on as fast as she could, barely even checking that the seals had locked correctly. She yanked the handwheel once more.

The door burst open. Phi stumbled inside.

Phi started by examining the console of the machine below where Quark was trapped. She couldn’t interfere with it – that could activate something dangerous and kill Quark – but she could at least make sure that the machine wouldn’t suddenly start while she tried to get Quark out. Apart from some small fluctuations of the needle that displayed the pressure, the machine was stable.

Quark wriggled again and the pipe shook, spraying flecks of rust everywhere and causing all the dials on the console to shudder. Quark whimpered: an outburst of noise directed at no-one and nothing in particular.

“Quark!” Phi bellowed towards the corner of the pipe where the boy was holding on, “I’m here.”

Quark didn’t respond to Phi’s presence, or if he did then his response was completely incoherent. “Help!” he yelled, his voice resounding along the pipe like a trumpet of doom. “Help! Help, help, help, help, help!” His erratic thrashing increased.

Phi noticed that, as Quark struggled on the inside, the bracket that held the outside of the pipe against the wall was ever-so-slightly twisted by the forces acting on it. The machinery here hadn’t been very well maintained as the rust showed, and the supports had weakened with neglect. It was almost as though whoever controlled the facility didn’t expect them to be needed for much longer.

“Quark! Keep trying!” Phi shouted. The magnitude of Quark’s struggling increase – whether it was because of Phi’s encouragement she did not know – but it was clear that Quark couldn’t  break out of the pipe on his own. Phi had to help.

Phi frantically scanned the room for some tool she could use to break the pipe. There was nothing to be seen. Of course, the pressure exchange chamber, with such complex machinery within it and the constant possibility of sudden pressure changes had been sanitised of anything that could possibly be dangerous. It was hopeless to look for anything in the airlock itself.

But then, Phi noticed something shifting within her protective suit. Her hands darted down it instinctively until they found something that could be described as a pocket within the suit. Inside was a sheathed knife. Phi drew it, first from the pocket and then from its scabbard. There was writing along the flat of the blade but Phi had no time to read it.

“Quark!” Phi called out again, “Can you hear my voice? Rock towards me then away from me, as hard as you can!”

Whether Quark had heard her or not, Phi couldn’t know. She waited for her opportunity. When the pipe jolted towards her and the gap between the bracket and the metal beneath was as big as it would ever be, Phi thrust the knife in. There was a screech from the knife as the gap closed but Phi held it in, wrapping both her hands around its pommel. Then, as the pipe bent towards her again, Phi threw her weight backwards.

The metal gave and twisted. The pipe fell away from the wall. And Quark tumbled out.

Phi flailed her arms out behind her, catching the wall behind her and flinging herself forward to catch Quark. They crashed against the floor, Phi instinctively taking the brunt of the blow. She’d saved him.

Then, an agonising whine shot through Phi’s ears. It came from the machinery that the pipe had fed into. Phi scrambled to her feet and peered into the machine. From the way the mechanisms within the now-open socket kept trying to drag in the metal shards dancing above them before spitting them back out, Phi realised they formed a pump drawing air into the chamber down the pipe Quark had entered. No wonder Quark had been terrified: his feet had to have been dangling just above the whirling metal, kept from being drawn in only by sheer tenacious luck. The power of the vortex of suction was demonstrated as one fragment of the pipe then another was snatched in by the pump, the angry shriek increasing with each shard.

Just before the noise became too loud for Phi to handle, there was a resounding bang and the mechanism stopped.

Phi looked down at the console. The pressure dial lurched precipitously to the left. Phi quickly realised what had happened. Given that there was a pump drawing air into the sealed environment, there had to be one pumping extra air back out. With the in-pump broken and the out-pump still working, the air pressure had to drop.

In her suit, Phi would be safe. Without a suit, Quark would not.

Phi had to get Quark out of the chamber. She spun around and reached for the airlock door. Then, Phi froze. With the interior of the airlock depressurising, wouldn’t the airlock doors have sealed? Shouldn’t it be completely impossible for Phi to open the door she needed to?

Phi sternly corrected herself. The depressurisation had started because of an accident; there was no reason for the lock to automatically activate. Though the air was thinning, the connection via Quark’s broken pipe to the rest of the facility ensured that the air pressure could never drop impossibly low. In any case, Phi had to try. She would never forgive herself if she gave up on her opportunity.

Phi leapt at the handwheel and slammed her hands against the spokes. It gave a bit, then met resistance. Phi strained against it; she could do little else. Finally the wheel continued to turn. Once it had moved all the way, Phi pushed the door.

It didn’t budge.

Of course. The pressure had fallen too much inside the chamber and the pressure was too high outside; the difference of forces across the door held it closed. Phi rammed her shoulder against it but it only slid a little before bouncing back. Phi tried again, charging as fast as she could accelerate across the entire width of the airlock at the door. It swung about halfway out of its frame before propelling Phi back.

Phi needed more momentum. As she understood that, she realised the one thing that would give her the chance to break through.

“I’m sorry, Quark,” Phi muttered as she picked him up.

His breath was already ragged from the deprived atmosphere; his eyes flickered lazily about as though in a dream. He didn’t have much strength left. Phi lifted him up and held him across her chest. She carried him across the chamber until she stood on the far side with her back to the door. Relying on pure luck to go in the correct direction, Phi ran backwards.

Her shoulders slammed against the airlock door. Her and Quark’s combined momentum pushed through. Air whistled past Phi’s ears.

 

“Decompression chamber seal broken,” the announcement declared, “Decompression chamber operation will cease until seals can be examined.” Within the chamber the dull whirring of the pumps – unnoticeable while ever-present; obvious once gone – ground to a halt.

Phi collapsed to the floor, just outside the airlock door. Her muscles ached from what had been constant effort. Her arms lost their hold on Quark and he slumped to the side. Phi’s eyes closed, just for one moment.

When Phi opened her eyes Quark was already standing. He backed away from her, eyes darting chaotically around the room. Whatever terror had caused him to flee in the first place had not been improved after nearly being diced by a claustrophobic suction pump. Quark retreated all the way to the small elevator; his wildly swinging arms hit the button and it started to rise.

Phi tried to reach out and stop him but her lethargic legs failed her. By the time she reached the elevator the barrier had already ridden above her head. Quark was out of her reach.

The moment the elevator clicked into place above her Phi pressed the button to call it back down. Quark wasn’t on it anymore, but Phi leapt aboard and into pursuit. Begrudging the elevator’s painfully slow ride, Phi scanned her view of the prep room for any sign of Quark.

He wasn’t there.

Phi stepped out into the middle of the room, her fists clenched with renewed frustration. She tensed, ready to run back along the corridor the way she had come, when suddenly she noticed something that hadn’t been in the room before. It was an orange protective suit, standard except for being far smaller: almost child-sized. It had been dumped on the floor before its locker, and the sight of it brought Phi to an instinctive halt.

A whimper came from inside that locker. Phi approached it, slowly and cautiously. As she got closer she was able to hear what the whimpers were saying.

It was Quark’s voice. “You regret it, don’t you, Grandpa? ‘Of course not.’” For that second sentence, Quark’s voice went much deeper and acquired some of Tenmyouji’s Japanese accent. “‘Of course not.’ ‘Of course not.’ ‘Of course not.’ ‘Of course not.’” Quark’s words spiralled around that one repeated phrase.

Having finally found Quark safe at last, with no possibility of him fleeing again, Phi opened the locker door. Quark was hugging the metal back wall of the locker compartment, curled up into a ball to fit in, and as the light drifted across his face he drew back further, shivering. The whimpers grew louder.

“Quark! You’re safe! I’m here!” Phi spoke over Quark.

It didn’t have any effect. Quark kept mumbling his fears. “Oh. Myr… Myr… Myr…” Quark murmured.

“Quark!” Phi said again, “There’s nothing to be scared of. It’s just us here.”

Quark finally looked up at her. His eyes swept across the visor of Phi’s suit but did not stop; there was no recognition. Quark screamed.

He was screaming at Phi. He was scared of Phi.

Phi, with an appalled twinge, realised why Quark had run from her after she had rescued him from the pressure exchange chamber. He had not just been generally running away, as he had from the escape elevator. He had been afraid of Phi specifically – or, rather, the suit she was wearing. Phi ripped off the helmet with guilty alarm. “Quark! It’s me! It’s me!”

Quark’s eyes paused their frantic darting. He blinked: once, twice. “Miss… Phi?”

Phi nodded with relief. “Yeah, that’s right. You’re okay now.” Her voice was dull and weary; it took a great effort of consciousness for Phi to raise it to the point where Quark would hear. You’re okay now.

“But, but, but…” Quark stammered, “Why are you even wearing that?”

“I needed to put a protective suit to get inside the airlock,” Phi explained, “I had to get in quick because you were stuck in the machinery, so I grabbed the first one I found.”

“I sort-of remember being in there. It’s a bit hazy. So… I guess that makes sense,” Quark mumbled. He looked up at Phi but when his gaze reached her shoulder he flinched back down again. “But, Miss Phi… you do know that symbol’s… um, well, evil? Don’t you?”

Phi looked down at the vivid logo on the fabric across the shoulder. “You mean this?”

“Yeah. That’s what Myrmidons wear.”

That word, ‘Myrmidons’, triggered memories in Phi’s mind. _She recalled – though she hadn’t got the vaguest idea of when it had occurred – Clover talking about that fanatical terrorist group. Clover had described them as dangerous but secretive. They were the sort of organisation which preferred subtler schemes: forcing scientists to work on mysterious projects, or kidnapping and interrogating law enforcement agents, including Clover herself. They had rarely, if ever, launched the sort of dramatic attack that would bring them to the attention of the general public._ And that begged one particular question.

“Quark… How do you know about the Myrmidons?” Phi asked.

Quark peeled himself away from the back of the locker and stood up, shrugging. “Grandpa told me about them first. He was sure they were responsible for… you know, Radical-6. But I’ve actually seen them as well! About a year back, people started seeing glimpses of them outside the town Grandpa and I live in. They never came that close; I don’t think they wanted to take on everyone at once. Maybe they just weren’t interested in us. The only thing that ever happened was that every so often they’d leave these creepy pamphlets just beyond the outskirts. They didn’t say anything interesting: just weird stuff like, ‘The new world is here,’ and, ‘Mankind is cleansed.’ Grandpa just burnt them for fuel whenever he found them.

“It was kinda scary whenever Grandpa took me out to the old ruins outside town for his archaeology work, though. He always kept his hand close to his gun whenever Myrmidons had been seen recently. He said they’d probably be after the same sorts of rare metals and devices we were looking for.”

Phi tried to lighten Quark’s sombre mood. “Well, Indiana Jones always had bad guys who were after the same stuff he was, right?”

Phi’s half-hearted joke fell flat. “Umm… Who is he?” Quark asked. Before Phi could answer, Quark continued talking. “But I guess everything’s okay, right? There aren’t actually any Myrmidons here, right?”

Phi nodded. “Yeah. There was just this protective suit. No actual Myrmidons anywhere.”

Quark sighed with relief. “And… if that thing that got me all scared and sad wasn’t true… I keep seeing things that make me feel like that. Ever since I ran away. Me thinking I was being attacked by a Myrmidon must’ve been one of those. Everything else that happened must’ve been fake as well.

“Like when I thought I heard you say Grandpa was dead. Grandpa can’t be dead. Right, Miss Phi?”

 

Phi had nothing for Quark but the truth. “I’m… I’m sorry, Quark.”

Quark froze. Then, he started rambling, at such a pace that Phi couldn’t stop him. “No… No… So me running away… I really did kill him. It’s just like… the last time I was naughty. I’d been helping Grandpa search this abandoned factory. Well, that’s what I was supposed to have been doing. I was in a bad mood that day, so I just picked up the first bits of junk I found and tried to pretend I’d tried my best.

“Grandpa saw straight through me. He didn’t raise his voice; he just calmly explained why each thing I’d brought him was useless. He made me sit through the whole thing, ’cause he knew I already knew everything he was telling me. I… I couldn’t take it. I just yelled at Grandpa, ‘I don’t care!’ and ran away. I was such a coward.

“I ran all the way back to that abandoned factory we’d searched. Grandpa came to find me. He must’ve been out all night, ’cause when he found me he couldn’t even stand. He’d caught a real bad fever, and it was all my fault. I thought I’d learned my lesson.

“But I haven’t. I haven’t learned anything at all. I got scared and ran away again. And because of that… Grandpa couldn’t get through the white Chromatic Doors. It’s my fault that Grandpa’s dead.”

“No!” Phi shouted forcefully, finally finding a chance to interrupt Quark. “It’s not like that! Tenmyouji could have got through the door. He had your bracelet, somehow. The only reason that he couldn’t get through was…”

“Huh? So… It wasn’t my fault? Really?”

Phi nodded reassuringly.

As Quark spoke again, the trembling in his voice waned. “That makes sense. Miss Luna must have…”

“That’s it, Quark,” Phi said, “That’s what happened. I’m sorry. I don’t know how Luna did it, but she attacked your Grandpa, and Clover as well. She handcuffed them together in the infirmary, which is why they couldn’t get through the Chromatic Door in time. Tenmyouji’s death is Luna’s fault, Quark. Not yours.”

Quark’s reaction was the opposite of what Phi had expected. His expression became tense and his lips pursed with confusion, but there was not the slightest bit of anger or horror. “That doesn’t make sense,” Quark said, “There’s no way it was Luna.”

“I know it’s hard to believe, but…”

Quark interrupted, finishing his statement. “It was Luna who got my bracelet off. She must have given it to Grandpa. Why would she hurt him after that?”

Phi gasped. “Wait. What?”

“Luna looked after me the entire time. There’s no way she would do anything bad like that!”

Phi frowned. “Quark. Can you explain from the beginning for me, please?”

Quark looked away, just for a second. “Um… I don’t really remember the beginning. Everything goes a bit blurry after Grandpa and I and Clover left the rec room.”

“Can you try your best, Quark?” Phi asked.

Quark answered, “I don’t really remember why I ran away from Grandpa. I was just… really afraid and sad about everything for some reason, and I couldn’t control it. I just ran away without knowing why I was running. I ran all the way back to the elevator, went downstairs and ran through the green door. Green means good, so I thought I’d be safe there.

“I wasn’t. I ended up in this dark room. There were a bunch of robots around the wall, all glaring at me with their glowing red eyes. I thought they were going to kill me: pull my arms off my body and slice me apart. I was there for ages ’cause I couldn’t move. I don’t… I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“That’s okay, Quark,” Phi said, “We can skip this bit if you like.”

“I wasn’t hurt, though,” Quark said, “because that’s when Miss Luna showed up. She sent the mean robots away. She kept me safe from them.”

Phi turned her face away from Quark. She didn’t know how to tell Quark the truth about Luna as delicately as she probably needed to. “Quark… I’m sorry, but Luna’s a robot as well. She’s a robot like the others, just pretending to be human.”

Quark believed Phi immediately; he didn’t raise his voice or dismiss Phi or demand evidence. But the truth didn’t change his mind. “That’s okay,” he said brightly, “Miss Luna’s not one of the mean robots. She’s a good person.”

Quark’s response reminded Phi of Sigma’s trust in Luna, which had stayed so constant against all the evidence. That trust had gotten Sigma trapped inside the facility. From her experience with Sigma, Phi already knew that Quark would never change his mind about Luna.

“Carry on,” she said, her voice subdued.

“Luna picked me up,” Quark continued, “and injected me with something to help me sleep. She told me I was ill with Radical-6, and that’s what was making my head fell so weird. Then she unlocked a room near the one with the robots and put me in this treatment pod to rest. I don’t know what it was doing, but I felt better once I could rest there.”

“What did Luna do then?” Phi asked.

“I’m not really sure,” Quark replied, “I kept falling asleep, so I don’t know where Miss Luna went then. I guess she went back to you guys or something like that. I was only really awake twice after Miss Luna put me in that treatment pod. The first time, Luna had opened the lid again and was holding my hand. It felt cold for some reason. I looked down, and she’d wrapped tin foil between my wrist and my bracelet. I didn’t know why she was doing that, but then the bracelet just popped off!”

Phi gasped. “So that’s how it was removed without killing you! How exactly did it work?”

“Luna said the foil blocked the sensors that the bracelet used. It thought I was dead because it couldn’t sense a heartbeat, so it just fell off.”

“If only we’d known that earlier…” Phi muttered.

Quark continued as though he hadn’t heard Phi. “The second time I woke up, Luna was there again. It couldn’t have been long before you found me. She… she…” Quark trailed off. He coughed: a haggard and indistinct gargle.

“Quark?”

Quark placed a hand on the locker behind him. His knuckles went white as he gripped the edge of the metal. Then Quark’s knees buckled and he fell forward.

Phi caught him, barely staying upright as Quark’s full weight slammed against her waist. She lowered to the ground. “Quark! What’s wrong?”

Quark tilted his head to look up at her. “I’m not feeling very good. Miss Phi… I don’t think I should’ve been taken out of that pod.”

“No… You can’t be…” Phi could barely speak.

“I think that was what Luna was trying to tell me the second time I woke up. She said that, when I couldn’t stay outside anymore, I had to give you…” Quark raised his hand unsteadily towards the left side of his helmet. His fingers lightly brushed the bottom of the compartment there. “This…”

Quark’s strength failed. His hand fell away. His eyes closed.

 

Phi didn’t know what she could do. There wasn’t any medical equipment anywhere; in any case, Phi would never be able to treat Radical-6 by herself.

The only option that Phi could discern was to examine the thing Quark had been trying to give her when he collapsed. She gingerly unfastened the clasp of the helmet compartment. Inside was a memory card, very similar to other ones Phi had seen except for being coloured a subtle shade of pink and having a small picture of a blue songbird printed in the corner of one side.

Phi searched around for a place where she could use it. She noticed that, although they were dull enough to be practically camouflaged against the grey metal, one of the machines along the wall did have some computer screens mounted on it. One of those screens was right next to a suitable looking slot.

Phi inserted the memory card. The screen came to life. On it, Luna’s face was displayed. She spoke.

“Sigma, Phi. I’m glad you found this. You see, Quark doesn’t have time to spare.”

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_I'll admit it: that had to be my least favourite of the Plot Locks. The problem was how long ago I wrote chapter 24, which meant the two chapters didn't really match together. Mea Culpa. If I was writing Empty Virtue again, I hope I'd have the courage to just completely change the layout of the upper section of the Rhizome._


	66. Confession of a Pure Heart

“Sigma, Phi. I’m glad you found this. You see, Quark doesn’t have time to spare.”

Luna didn’t seem to have known when she recorded the message that Sigma hadn’t left with Phi. As Luna continued speaking, she continued to phrase her sentences as if she was speaking to both of them.

“There’s some things I think I should explain to you before you go. I don’t have much time, either. You see, I’m not really supposed to be doing anything right now. I’m not sure how long I’ll be allowed to continue.

“I think you’ve found out by now that I’m… not exactly human. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I couldn’t tell you the truth, even after you trusted me. Zero Jr. wouldn’t let me. Every time I wanted to, he’d take control of my voice and shut it off. Then, he decided to turn me off entirely.

“It wasn’t long after I had returned to Quark’s treatment pod and taken his bracelet off. I had meant to go and tell Tenmyouji what had happened to him, but I didn’t know where he was. I went back to the upper floor to look for him, but I only found Clover. She’d noticed there was something wrong with me and blamed me for Alice’s death. I can’t blame her. I’ve lied about so much.

“Anyway, Clover injected me with turbocuarine. That would kill a normal person, so I had to appear to die as well. Zero didn’t take any chances; he cut my connection to my body entirely. I only had enough time to show Clover Quark’s bracelet and hope she would give it to Tenmyouji.

“I could still see a bit of what was going on. I was still thinking in the central server and though I wasn’t supposed to be able to access the cameras I did my best to have a look. I wanted to make sure everyone else was okay.” Luna said that without even the slightest trace of deceit entering her voice. Untrusting as she was, even Phi found her intuitions convinced that Luna’s motivations were as she said.

The image on the screen shifted, showing the treatment centre. Only the leftmost pod was closed; the image was from when Quark had still been in there. Luna’s voice continued to play over the image.

“Quark was still in the treatment pod, and wasn’t in danger from his bracelet anymore. But no-one else knew where he was. I begged Zero Jr. to tell you how to find him… he wouldn’t. There wasn’t really anyone left to tell. You were both unconscious behind the white Chromatic Doors, and everyone else… I’m sorry. I was the only one who could help Quark, but I couldn’t as long as Zero Jr. had control.

“Then my chance came. I’d already proved to myself that I could bend the rules by looking through the cameras. Then, Zero Jr. was distracted when someone got unauthorised access to the security system.”

That had to have been Phi, hacking the security room’s main computer. That had had more of an effect than Phi had realised.

Luna continued explaining. “When Zero Jr. stopped paying attention to the Gaulems, I hacked into his partition of the central server. I was able to close his connections to the rest of the facility and take control. I could then reactivate my body and finally make sure that Quark had enough water and food. I also recorded and gave him this, for you to watch when you found him and escaped.

“But that’s why I won’t be able to talk long. I’m not sure how long I can keep Zero Jr. contained. He’s a much more powerful AI than I am. And when he breaks free…” Luna’s voice trembled. “He’ll delete me. He can’t do anything else, now.”

From behind Phi, Quark stirred. Subconsciously aware of the words playing through the speakers, he started murmuring in his sleep. “No… Miss Luna… Please… Not you as well!”

 

The video was silent for a while, as though Luna was catching her breath as a human might. Eventually Luna’s face returned to the screen. “So, there’s some important stuff I need to tell you. If you don’t learn about it, Quark will be in terrible danger. But… I can understand why you can’t trust me right now. You’ve got every reason to ignore what I tell you.

“You’re right, Phi: from your point of view, the evidence really has pointed to me as the killer. It’s… important to me that I try to earn your trust back. I downloaded some of the footage from the surveillance archive to show you what happened.”

The image changed again. It showed, from a high angle, the upper warehouse with the row of Ambidex Rooms along the wall. Suddenly, one of the hatches on the top of the AB Rooms opened. Since it was the hatch that opened rather than the door, this footage had to be from the start of the Nonary Game. Or rather, from before, for it was the old lady who climbed out.

“The first thing you have to be wondering about,” Luna’s commentary played, “is who killed the old lady, and how she ended up in my room. The truth is, she had expected to be killed. She… I should tell you that her name was Akane Kurashiki…”

The name was true: _Phi was sure she remembered having been told it before._ Phi couldn’t quite believe the other statement, but to her astonishment the scene seemed to be playing out with the old lady’s complete complicity. Akane strode calmly across the warehouse towards the wall where the red stain had been – but wasn’t yet – and stood there, bracing her arm against the concrete. The video paused.

“Akane Kurashiki was the one who gave me my orders,” Luna continued, “The last thing she told me to do was what I had to do once she had been murdered. I tried to protest, but she wouldn’t listen to me. I wanted to save her when she was attacked as well, but I couldn’t. My body had been deactivated, just like when Clover injected me.”

The video started playing again. Someone else entered the frame. It was Dio. But rather than appearing through on of the hatches as Akane had, he came from the direction of the Number Nine Door.

“When Akane was ordering me not to interfere with her murder, she explained why it had to happen. She said that Dio killing her was vital to the Nonary Game – or, to give it its proper name, the AB Project. See, Dio had been sent here as part of a plan to sabotage the AB Project, by stealing a player’s bracelet and joining the game. What he didn’t know was that he was lured here by Zero and Akane. They wanted him to join the game as well. That’s why Akane chose to sacrifice herself. She said that if she didn’t, Dio would just kill someone else. Her logic made sense. But I couldn’t bear to watch as it actually happened.”

Phi didn’t want to watch either, as Dio made his way across the screen and plunged his knife into Akane’s heart. She watched anyway. Still distrustful of Luna, she watched for any signs of imperfections that would mark the video as fake. There weren’t any. The video and the events it showed were true.

When the old lady had fallen still Dio took her bracelet, cleaned it then slapped it onto his own wrist. He clambered on top of the AB Rooms and disappeared into the hatch that Akane had appeared from.

Then Luna appeared. She emerged from the door of her AB Room and walked mournfully over to Akane’s corpse. Even with the low resolution of the footage, Phi could see the glisten of tears on Luna’s cheeks. Luna knelt by Akane and cradled her head, before hoisting her up and carrying her back towards the AB Room. The movement was so perfectly precise that not a drop of blood went anywhere close to Luna’s dress.

“I had to hide Akane’s body,” Luna explained, “I… Akane said that if anyone discovered her body before the first puzzles had finished, the project would fail. She said that it would be as bad as killing her myself. So I had to. I had to do what she asked me to. I carried her back to my room, and then Zero Jr. moved it to protect me, as you thought. I’m sorry.”

 

Luna’s commentary stopped for the next few minutes; the footage was self-explanatory. First, Alice was shown committing suicide in the crew quarters. Then, Phi watched as Clover cornered Luna in the crew quarters and injected her. This time the camera angle showed the entire thing, right until the end where Luna passed Quark’s bracelet to Clover as she had claimed.

The video continued until Dio entered the crew quarters and took the knife from Alice’s body. He rummaged through Alice’s belongings, but only for a moment. Startled by a noise – presumably K arriving – Dio fled.

But when Dio left, the recording followed him, first switching to a camera in the middle section of the crew quarters, then to a camera in the back corridor, before finally settling on footage from the infirmary. There, Dio had cornered Clover. Burdened by a defibrillator – Phi realised that Clover had probably intended to resuscitate Luna with it – Clover had no chance to react when Dio’s knife slashed forward, grazing the skin of her shoulder before coming to a stop resting against Clover’s neck. Clover backed away instinctively, but that only allowed Dio to step forward with her until she was pinned against the wall.

Dio paused. He said something, presumably gloating at Clover’s vulnerability.

Then, Tenmyouji barged through the door behind Dio. He roared something and leapt forward.

Dio pivoted around. His left elbow slammed into the side of Clover’s head and she fell to the floor; at the same time Dio’s right hand, still grasping the knife, slashed across Tenmyouji’s reaching palm. From there, it was only too easy for Dio to subdue both of his opponents and wrestle them into the handcuffs.

Phi watched what happened once Dio had abandoned the pair. Clover soon woke up to join Tenmyouji in his struggles. It quickly became clear that there was no way out. Upon giving up, Clover passed Tenmyouji Quark’s bracelet and then visibly slumped. Phi leaned forward towards the screen, wondering how the numbers ‘016’ had appeared on Clover’s right thigh. If Luna’s footage didn’t include that, then it was clearly a fabrication.

Clover moved again. She raised her finger, gazing at the blood that already covered it. Then, she began to write… on her left thigh. Phi could just about make out the letters she had written: ‘dio’.

Only then did the penalty trigger. Both Tenmyouji and Clover slumped as the Soporil Beta entered their bloodstream. As Clover fell, her legs slipped together, smearing the writing from the left thigh onto the right. The blood eventually settled as the numbers that Phi had thought they read: ‘016’.

After that, there was only one set of deaths needing explanation: Dio’s and K’s. The recording moved on to the rec room where they had died. Luna’s commentary started again.

“It was Tenmyouji who first realised something was up with the bracelet that Akane had worn,” she said, “He started testing everyone’s bracelets with Luminol in the rec room. I guess K must have picked it up from him.”

Onscreen, K sprayed Dio’s bracelet with that luminescent liquid then turned around to head towards the light switch.

“Unfortunately,” Luna continued, “Dio knew the meaning of what K was doing. He knew he was about to be exposed, and…”

The moment K could no longer see him, Dio started edging towards the stage and the suits of armour there. Soon, he had a great-axe in his hands. He raised it high and swung it down.

“K stayed conscious as long as he could, though. He was always a brave boy.” Luna sighed. “He lived just long enough to make sure Dio didn’t get away.”

Once K had driven the spear into Dio’s belly and then finally collapsed, the recording ended. Every death had been accounted for. Despite Phi’s ever-persistent suspicion, Luna had been guilty of none of them.

 

As Luna’s face returned to the screen once more, she bowed her head. “Sigma, Phi. Please, forgive me, both of you. I never wanted things to end like this. Neither did Akane.”

Phi’s heart accepted the apology, but Phi’s mind still wondered. If Luna hadn’t done anything wrong, and especially if Luna had wanted Phi and Sigma to find Quark’s location, why had she erased the surveillance archives from the security room? It could only have been Luna who had done that; by Luna’s own admission it had happened shortly after Luna had hacked Zero Jr.

Then, to Phi’s surprise, Luna answered that question. “I won’t be able to show you anymore of what happened during the game. Once I’ve finished recording this video, I’m going to try and delete as much of Zero Jr.’s data as possible. It might slow him down when he reactivates. I know it won’t be enough, but… I want to live as long as possible. I want to live and see all the beautiful things around me for as long as I can.”

The truth slammed into place in Phi’s mind. She was finally ready to listen to what Luna had to say.

After a long forlorn pause, Luna got to the point. “So, you made it out. Congratulations. And if you’re watching this, as the good people I know you to be, you made sure to rescue Quark as well. Your heart’s in the right place.

“But that was a mistake.

“I put Quark in the treatment pod for a reason. He’s infected. He’s infected with Radical-6. To tell the truth, you all are, but Quark’s the furthest along. If you keep going, he’ll die. There are directions on this memory card to help you get from this facility, Rhizome 9, to the nearest inhabited building, which is Rhizome 11, but… I can’t let you have them yet. I can’t let you infect anyone else.

“There’s only one way to cure Radical-6. You need the antivirus, Axelavir. And I only know one place where you can find it. One of the rooms in this facility is a laboratory. It wasn’t opened during the game, but I have a feeling both of you know where it is. Now that the Nonary Game has finished, the door to it will be unlocked. All you have to do is get back inside Rhizome 9.

“You can still do that. The Number Nine Door might be locked, but it’s not the only way in or out. Go back to the main elevator and take it all the way down. You’ll see what I mean. And hurry, please! I don’t know how long Quark will have left when you watch this. Please, do everything you can to save him from my mistakes.”

The screen faded to black. Then, as though the video had forgotten it was supposed to be over, the screen flickered back to life, Luna still right in the centre.

“I kind of want to properly say goodbye to you before you go. You’re the last people I’ll ever speak to, even if it is indirectly. I want to finish this properly.

“Phi: I don’t blame you. You were only doing what you thought was best, just as I was. I wish we’d had the chance to get on better. I guess it wasn’t to be. At least, not this time around.

“Sigma: Thank you. Thank you for everything. I guess you won’t know what I’m talking about, but still: thank you, thank you, thank you! And… I understand. I understand why it could never have worked out the way I wanted it to. Goodbye, Sigma. Please, have the wonderful life you deserve after all that time.”

With that, the screen finally turned off for good.

 

Phi shook, the tension of her indecision working its way through her body. On the one hand, Quark’s predicament was obvious and Luna had provided a way to save him. But Phi couldn’t help but look at Luna’s instructions as a possible trap. Luna wanted her back inside the facility she had only just managed to escape. And, Phi figured, if she fell for that trap Quark would be caught as well. That was a risk she did not want to take.

So she sat there, shaking. There was nothing in her mental toolkit that could possibly have prepared her for that choice. Deceiving other human beings and uncovering their motivations in turn was something she understood well enough, but Luna was not human. Once she had been programmed well enough to trick the other players, making her capable of fabricating the passion that she had displayed in the recording was only a small extra step. It sunk into Phi that there was no way to outthink her opponent, as much as she wanted to for her peace of mind.

Eventually, it was one small thing that tipped the balance in Phi’s mind. She remembered how the mechanism of the airlock had broken when she had rescued Quark. It could probably be fixed, but Phi couldn’t do that without tools. As long as the airlock remained broken there was no way forward. There was only back. Back towards Luna. Back towards whatever trap had been laid.

  “Come on, Quark,” Phi said to the unconscious boy as she scooped him into her arms, “Let’s get you cured. It won’t take too long.” Then she muttered to herself, so quietly that Quark wouldn’t have heard even if he was awake, “Damnit. I hope this really is the right thing to do.”

Phi turned around and carried Quark back towards the facility known as Rhizome 9.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Luna has finally gotten the chance to tell Phi her side of the story. Thank goodness._

_See you in two week's time, when we'll finally reach the end of Quark's route._


	67. QUARK END: The Fire's End

_It's practically illegal to read this chapter without playing Blue Bird Lamentation in the background. You'll know when it should start..._

* * *

Phi laid Quark down in the centre of the elevator, patted the top of his hair gingerly, and then walked hesitantly towards the control panel. Luna had told her to ‘take the elevator all the way down.’ Phi wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, but she knew she would find out. She had already committed herself to following Luna’s instructions, so she approached the panel and pressed the button to take it down.

The elevator started its descent. As the wall rumbled past her, Phi brooded. The situation rankled. Just as she was powerless to do anything but wait for the elevator to stop, she was powerless to do anything to save Quark but obediently follow Luna’s commands. Heedless of Phi’s discomfort, the elevator continued down.

Eventually, it reached the place it had started from: the back of the Number Nine Door. As it became flush with the surrounding floor, the elevator ground to a halt. Phi lurched, only just keeping her balance. For some reason, she had been slightly slow to respond. When she recovered, Phi stared at the Number Nine Door, annoyance drawing her mouth into a grimace. The Number Nine Door hadn’t opened when the elevator arrived. Of course it hadn’t. The entire point of that steel door was to remain forever closed.

For that matter, merely returning to that level was a weird interpretation of Luna’s instruction. She would hardly have needed to be told to go _all_ the way to the bottom if there was only one place to go. Phi also knew that the facility inside went deeper down than she currently was. Phi turned around, placed her hand firmly over the control panel and pressed the down button a second time.

The elevator lurched into motion once more. It took Phi and Quark down about the same distance before stopping again. In front of them was the back of another huge steel door but this time there was one key difference: on the left hand side of the frame was a lever marked ‘Open’. Phi hoisted Quark up and approached that lever. She placed her hand around it and pulled.

The door rose open. Phi stepped through and she and Quark emerged into the floor B warehouse. It was definitely that room: the phrase, ‘Memento Mori. If the nineth lion ate the sun,’ graffitied on the wall confirmed that. The door of that warehouse that had corresponded to the Number Nine Door on the floor above – which had appeared, from the inside, to be little more than another part of the wall – had been Phi’s and Quark’s way in. They were back where they needed to be.

But as Phi went a few more metres inside and the door started to close behind her, Phi froze. If a trap had been set, this was the moment when it would strike. If Luna wanted to keep Phi and Quark stuck inside the facility, the door would never open again. Phi was psychologically unable to continue until she’d confirmed it one way or another.

Phi turned around and, completely intent on rolling under and escaping if she couldn’t get proof that there was no trap, took two strides back towards the re-entry door. She tensed, bending her knees ready for that final dive for freedom. Then, just as she started her move, the door stopped closing and started to rise once more.

Phi halted. She sighed with relief. It looked like this door now opened automatically. Just like the shortcuts within the Nonary Game, now that it had been unlocked from the other side it was just a door like any other. Now knowing that she had a way out, Phi found herself able to continue. She turned around and, keeping Quark as comfortable as she could despite the needed haste, started to run.

 

As Phi ran through the corridors of Rhizome 9, mournful twinkling music began to play through the speakers. Phi’s conscious mind ignored it, now able to focus only on getting Quark his medicine, but each step brought her stride closer and closer to the tempo of the music. Somehow, it was encouraging her along.

Phi reached the hub of Chromatic Doors and paused. Luna hadn’t explained exactly where it was. She had only said that Phi would know. By the sound of it, it was another puzzle room, which meant that it could be behind any of the three Chromatic Doors. Which one, Phi couldn’t know. It hadn’t opened at all during the Nonary Game.

Then, _memories returned to her. Red door. It had to be the red door._

Phi ran that way, until finally reaching the hub at the end where the lever separated the three doors. Each now unlocked as Luna had promised, all their holographic plaques were active. Phi scanned them, though her eyes raw and her vision blurry it took her longer than she wished. The one to the right, Phi knew to be the pantry. The label to the left read, ‘Control Room.’ Finally, Phi saw that the holographic plaque straight in front of her read, ‘Laboratory.’ She had found the place she had been looking for.

Phi burst in. There wasn’t anywhere to leave Quark comfortable; Phi just laid him down on the floor by the entrance. Then she hastily started her search.

Almost the entire room was taken up by a sturdy triangular work-counter. Phi’s eyes alighted on something that looked almost like a glass vial, tucked away in between the machinery that was scattered across the table. But it wasn’t Axelavir, only a jar of seeds. Another jar on the other side of the counter proved similarly disappointing.

Phi tried again, sweeping her eyes along the right hand wall. She skimmed right over the maze of thin pipes that were embedded in the wall closest to her and moved on to a recessed workstation. Once again, the only container there contained seeds, not medicine.

Phi moved on to the back corner, where there was a shelf with a number of vials. One contained yet more seeds and another only contained the roots of a plant, so Phi ignored them. But there was one higher up, just above Phi’s eyeline, that looked like it might contain some sort of liquid. Phi stood on tiptoes and reached up. As she grabbed the jar she was after, another one behind it fell forwards; Phi had to snap her other hand to catch it before it fell to the floor. Once both containers were safe, Phi inspected them.

The first’s label said that it only contained saline solution. The other only contained a dead frog.

Growling with frustration, Phi deposited both vials on the central counter and continued on her search around the room. But it was futile. The workstations along the left back wall only presented Phi with one more container: a little thing tucked away at the bottom that yet again contained seeds. And finally, the wall closest to the doors only displayed a tumultuous stream of chemically green goop, inaccessible due to the solid glass windows that covered it. In fact, there was only one place left where the Axelavir could possibly be.

 The safe. It had to be in the puzzle’s safe. Zero Sr. must have intended the Axelavir to be a reward for whichever group of players went into the laboratory and solved it. So, if Quark was to have any chance of survival, Phi would have to do the same, and as quickly as humanly possible.

 

As the music continued to chime, Phi went to work. She started by gathering all five vials of seeds she had found  during her first search of the room and placing them on the closest edge of the central table. Their dispersed positioning and similarity were obvious indicators that they were part of the puzzle. However, they clearly weren’t enough, so Phi started looking round for anything else that could help.

Behind the tray on which Phi had found one of the jars of seeds was a pair of binders with some sheets of paper inside. They could potentially include instructions for how to solve parts of the puzzle; Phi couldn’t afford to waste time trying to figure things out herself so she snatched the closest one up. Inside were instructions on hydroponics. By sheer luck, or perhaps something else, Phi had found the instructions for germinating the seeds on her first attempt.

The instructions directed her to the web of water pipes that she had passed on the right hand wall. Phi first needed to dilute the nutrient mixtures at the bottom with water stored above the pipes. Each of the five beakers of nutrients at the bottom wanted a different amount of water, as detailed in the binder; Phi’s only control over how much water was sent to each one was by adjusting levers placed at the junctions to send different ratios of water through each output.

Phi didn’t have time to calculate the correct configuration, though. On instinct, she yanked all the levers so they pointed straight down and then pressed the switch to release the water.

She’d got it right first time. The water rushed out of the tanks at the top and gurgled down into the beakers at the bottom, filling each a reasonable amount so that the colour of each solution was visible.

Phi squinted suspiciously at the pipes for a couple of seconds. The solution to the puzzle had been so easy and so regular that she had to wonder if Zero Sr. had intended it to be solved by someone in as frantic a rush as Phi was. But that thought held Phi’s mind for only a moment, before her urgency overcame it and she went back to leafing through the hydroponics manual.

According to the manual, each collection of seeds would only germinate in some of the nutrient solutions. Unfortunately, the manual didn’t match each seed to each solution, but only gave vague descriptions of how the characteristics of each seed affected its chances. There would be no quick and easy solution this time. Phi scattered a few of each seed-type on the top of the counter to get a good look at them and then leaned against the wall to think.

It took her far longer than it should have done. With Quark’s ragged breathing punctuating her every thought, Phi couldn’t clear the stress from her mind and properly think. At least twice, Phi found herself considering something she had thought she had locked in earlier but which had slipped from her mind. Such setbacks shouldn’t have happened, but did.

Eventually, Phi was sure of the correct beakers for each seed. She didn’t double check, having taken enough time already. Instead she poured seeds into each of the five beakers and shoved them back into their cavities beneath the plumbing.

 Green lights lit up behind each beaker. The sound of a bell chimed. And something rattled down as it was deposited to Phi’s right.

Phi peered at the hole the prize had landed in. It was a small spherical capsule, one half of it transparent so that Phi could see a red substance sloshing around inside, with a small-but-sturdy metal pin so that the capsule could be attached to something. Phi picked it up and turned around.

Almost immediately she saw where the capsule was supposed to go. The nearest machine – a microscope with more scanning equipment attached to the back of it, Phi realised once she looked at it properly – had four indentations at the top of its mounting of exactly the right shape for the capsule. Phi placed the red capsule in pin first and pushed down until it was secure. From the screen mounted by the microscope it was clear that this was where the passwords for the safe would be displayed. All Phi had to do was find the other capsules.

 

As Phi returned to where the hydroponics binder had been to look at the other one, she saw that a pair of capsules similar to the red one had been left on a tray there. She picked them up. Both, as could be seen through their transparent sections, were empty. They couldn’t be added to the microscope yet. Still, if Phi was able to fill them then she’d be another step closer to saving Quark.

Phi tucked the capsules away and started to read the other binder. This binder described the steps to take to cleanly dissect a frog. Phi recalled the frog specimen whose vial had nearly fallen from the back shelves. She ran to retrieve it.

As Phi sped along the music that had been playing stepped up a gear as well, the sound of the original music box being augmented by many other instruments. Phi reached the shelf in only an instant and scooped up the vial of frog. The instructions said that the dissection had to be done in the fume cupboard: Phi recalled its positioning along the left wall and took the frog there.

After pouring the preserving ethanol down the fume cupboard’s drain, Phi dumped the frog onto the counter. She took a nearby scalpel and slashed it wildly into the frog’s belly. The scalpel clinked against something hard inside. It was another capsule, this one containing a blue liquid. Phi put it in with the red one.

Now Phi had to work on filling the empty capsules she had found. There was one more station she hadn’t properly examined yet, further along the wall beyond the hydroponics pipes. Phi ran there. Tucked in its right hand corner was a blender-like machine and lodged behind that was an instruction manual that hopefully described its use. Phi snatched it out and read it.

The manual gave instructions for extracting DNA into the capsules; the machine was exactly what Phi was looking for. The first step was simple: blend plant material. Phi took the one thing she hadn’t used yet – the jar of roots – and after opening it stuffed the roots into the top of the blender. It started the moment the lid closed, grinding up the root with an unyielding whir. Once it was done, Phi – still following the instructions – poured in the saline solution. It trickled through the funnel of the blender into the beaker below, green flecks spiralling through it where the root had been absorbed.

The next step of the instructions asked for ethanol to dissolve the DNA out of the pieces of root. Phi was sure there had to be some ethanol stored somewhere in the laboratory, but given that she hadn’t found it first time round it would be daunting to search for it. Fortunately, Phi already knew where some ethanol was. The frog she had dissected earlier had been preserved in it and although she had poured it down the drain it had only been collected in a tank underneath rather than been lost. Using that was an ugly kludge, but given the choice between that and a possibly-endless search for pure ethanol with Quark’s life on the line, Phi chose the obvious.

She grabbed the beaker from the underside of the blender and took it over to the fume cabinet, placing it down inside. Kneeling down and wresting the waste tank out of its socket was cumbersome but necessary. Eventually Phi was able to pour the ethanol into the beaker and the DNA sample started to appear at the bottom. When Phi was sure there was enough to suck into the empty capsule she used it, filling it with pure green hopefully-DNA. She placed that capsule in the microscope with the others.

The microscope’s viewing screen activated. The green-backed safe password was displayed.

Phi tossed the remaining empty capsule away as she sidestepped towards the screen. Once she’d memorised the safe password, she wouldn’t need it anymore, whatever that capsule had been intended for. That password would get her what she needed; nothing else would ever be necessary.

 

Phi punched the combination into the safe. As the door opened, the music reached its culmination; the pop of the door interrupted the final notes of the orchestral instruments, leaving only the music box to chime through the last few bars. There was only one thing inside the safe that mattered to Phi: the vial of Axelavir that had been placed there front and centre. The rest of the items – the Ambidex Keycards, the map, the escape key and the journal – didn’t matter to Phi at all.

After snatching the precious vial of medicine from the safe, Phi scanned the laboratory for an injection gun to use it. She found one much quicker than she had expected to, tucked behind the microscope. She slotted the vial into the injection gun and returned to where Quark lay.

One pull of the trigger and the medicine was inside him.

Phi collapsed to the ground, exhausted. Now, she could only hope that the Axelavir would save the boy.

Quark’s eyes opened.

“Quark!” Phi gasped, “Are you alright?”

Quark’s head swivelled lazily from side to side, jerking intermittently where his helmet caught on the floor. “Miss… Phi? Where… are we? Is this… back inside the Nonary Game?”

“It’s okay, Quark. We can get out again,” Phi explained, “I got some Axelavir for you, so we just need time for you to get better and then we can get going. We can get you home.”

“Home…” Quark mumbled, “I’d like to go home.”

“You will, Quark.” Phi gently removed Quark’s helmet and patted his blonde hair. “You will.” They just sat there for a while. Then, Phi decided to do something to pass the time. “Quark. What’s your home like? Tell me about it.”

Quark thought for a moment, before answering. “It’s this big town just east of Las Vegas, nearly 10,000 people. I think Grandpa was one of the founders. At least, he helped choose the name: Fire’s End. ’Cause it was such a big place, there were always traders passing through, and there was this big hotel and bar at the centre. Grandpa spent a lot of time there. I went sometimes as well. It was always cool meeting new people, and they were always willing to talk to us because Grandpa always had interesting stuff for them to buy.”

“You mean from his job as an archaeologist?” Phi asked.

“That right. Grandpa was always finding stuff like that on his trips west into the city,” Quark said.

Phi scratched her chin. “‘West’? ‘Into the city’? You mean Las Vegas? I know it has a Caesar’s Palace, but that’s not actually an ancient historic monument. How exactly are you supposed to do archaeology there?”

“It’s ancient enough, isn’t it?” Quark then changed the subject, continuing to describe his hometown. “What else was there…? The school I went to was right by the river. You could look over the bay during class; I got in trouble so many times with the teacher for that. Worth it, though. The water was so beautiful.

“The other kids were great, too. I know they ribbed me a few times because I was adopted. But you know… I guess that’s just kids being kids. I wasn’t much better. I got over it. When I did, I made some really great friends. Jimmy, Carly, Brad, Leppy, Jessica… I wonder if they’re wondering what’s happened to me?” Quark stared wistfully into the distance.

“I’m sure they are,” Phi replied, “It sounds like a great place.”

“Yeah,” Quark said, “It is. Fire’s End is a really great town. You should visit there, when you get out. They’d welcome you, get you sorted.

“Just a shame I’m never gonna see Fire’s End again.”

 

“What.” Phi gasped that one word. She just couldn’t understand what Quark was saying. “Quark… What are you talking about? Why do you think you won’t go home again?”

Quark’s only answer was a cough. A rivulet of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

“No.” Phi inhaled, exhaled, hyperventilated. “No! No, no, no!” Her hand lashed out and grabbed the injection gun. She squeezed its handle until her knuckles turned white and her fingers went numb. “I found the Axelavir! I found it! Why…? Why are you still dying?! You should be cured. Cured! Quark!”

“It’s okay, Miss Phi,” Quark said, quietly, “You tried. I know you tried. I wasn’t awake, but… I could feel it somehow. Feel how much you tried for me. It’s my fault for not holding on long enough.”

“No… Quark, it’s…” Phi spluttered.

“I’ve had a good time, really. I’m glad I met all the nice people here. I got to have Miss Luna look after me. It’s like… doing whatever she can to help other people is the centre of who she is. I can’t think of anyone else I know who’s like that.

“I got to meet Mister Sigma too, and he’s a great guy as well. I… I think I know what he was doing when he didn’t leave the game with us. I just know it: he went to see Miss Luna and make her feel better. I think Miss Luna’s in the same situation I’m in, and Sigma’s the sort of guy who’d realise that without being told.

“And I got to meet you as well, Phi. And… that might’ve been best of all. You were so brave. So determined. You never stopped, even when I was completely crazy. That’s who you are, as well.

“You, Miss Luna, Mister Sigma… everyone, really. I’m glad I met everyone: Miss Clover, Miss Alice, Mister K. Even Mister Dio. When he wasn’t trying to be mean, he could be really funny. Dio told me a bunch of jokes that would even make Grandpa blush. If Grandpa and I hadn’t come here, I never would’ve met any of you. So it’s not really a bad thing.

“And I don’t have to be afraid anymore. The Axelavir did some good. What you did for me… it worked. It worked.”

Phi shook her head, desperately from side to side. “No! Quark… that’s not… You can’t give up like this!”

“You wouldn’t,” Quark agreed, “You’re strong like that. But… I’m tired. I want it to stop, now. I want to just fall asleep.

“And I want to see Grandpa again.”

Quark’s head fell until his chin rested against his shoulder. His eyes closed. His breathing ceased, forever.

 

The final notes of the music box played, then fell silent.

 

Phi stared, blankly. Her fist clenched, shaking uncontrollably. She slumped over, cradling Quark’s body.

Quark couldn’t be dead. Phi couldn’t accept that. She’d tried so hard to keep him alive that it was completely wrong that he was dead.

But had she really tried hard enough? Was it not the case that every choice she’d made had delayed the Axelavir and hastened Quark’s death? If she’d trusted Luna earlier, she’d have made her way to the laboratory directly, rather than stopping again and again and again to question that obviously correct choice. If Phi had displayed trust in Luna earlier, Luna wouldn’t have felt the need to explain everything before telling Phi what she needed to do. If Phi had been capable of trust at all, she would have thought before removing Quark from the treatment pod that should have kept him alive.

Phi was responsible for Quark’s death. And she knew it.

But she couldn’t accept it.

Phi decided to believe what she wanted to believe. She recalled how she’d remembered the original positioning of the Ambidex Rooms, how she’d suddenly learned how to hack into the security room’s computer, and how she’d known the layout of the exterior facility without ever having been there before. Those had to have been caused by something. In her grief – in her madness – Phi decided that the cause had to be something that would let her forsake her past of lost opportunities.

Those pieces of unearned knowledge had come from alternate realities. That had to make sense. It made so much more sense than the idea that Phi had put so much effort into saving Quark and failed anyway.

And if Phi had received from those alternate realities, it might be possible to go back as well.

Phi made up her mind. She would seek a way out of the timeline of failure that was her past. She would give up on the reality she was in and go to a time and place where Quark was still alive.

 

**QUARK - END**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_... You'll also know when Blue Bird Lamentation should stop._

_Yeah, that Major Character Death tag isn't just for the canonical deaths. Well, it's not like I was ever going to let Quark survive his route. Goddamn I love killing off characters... Yeah, feel free to hate me._

_You might have noticed the link with my Zecret Santa story also titled The Fire's End. I actually came up with the idea behind the town for this chapter first; I was really glad when I was to reuse the ideas for that gift. Plus it was a really nice fluke that I'd already decided to name the town after Carlos. Basically, if you see something by me and I've titled it The Fire's End, let's just say that that characters should start being a bit concerned._

_There's only one place for us to advance the story, now: choosing to go with Sigma into the true route after chapter 52. I'll see you there in two weeks time!_


	68. Sigma has Read the Walkthrough

_We restart at the end of chapter 52, choosing to go with Sigma into the control room._

* * *

 “I don’t have any problems with Option B,” Phi stated, “I’ll go with Sigma.”

Perhaps Phi could trust Sigma. His vision, or whatever it was, of the bomb was strange and unnerving, but not blatantly malicious; anyone who had actually set the bombs wouldn’t mention them so carelessly. So, Phi could trust Sigma, not to have set the bombs at least. And even in the tiny possibility that Sigma wasn’t trustworthy, Phi would be there to keep an eye on him. Win-win, Phi figured.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Sigma concurred.

So, it was settled. There were no objections; option B it was. The players quickly split up and headed through their respective doors: Luna joined Phi and Sigma behind the red door, Alice followed K and Quark through the green door and Tenmyouji, Dio and Clover headed through the blue door. They had settled on their decision remarkably quickly, but even so they made it through just in time; the doors fell shut seconds later.

Sigma leaned against the wall of the antechamber, disinterestedly watching the sensors rise up from the floor to examine the players’ bracelets. Phi leaned against the wall opposite him, trying to glean Sigma’s state of mind from the expression of his single real eye, but it seemed Sigma had zoned out entirely.

As the secondary door opened, Luna stood before it, hands clasped earnestly in front of her chest. “I can’t believe we were able to all agree on our choice so quickly. I really think that means we’ll all be able to work together and trust each other from now on.”

Phi shook her head ruefully. “I don’t think it’s that easy. The Ambidex Game is literally designed to make us not trust each other. And then there’s that bomb. Until we find out who planted it…”

Luna sighed. “I suppose you’re right. Shall we get going, then?”

The three of them followed a corridor that bent around to the left. Phi was wondering how long it continued on for when Sigma stopped suddenly in front of her, as though jolting back to awareness.

“Huh? Is this a dead end?”

Phi looked past Sigma and saw what he was talking about. The corridor ended at a circular hub with three doors leading off in different directions. Unfortunately, they couldn’t continue in any of those directions: all three doors were locked.

But it wasn’t hopeless. At the centre of the hub was mounted a lever next to a glowing green panel. Luna knelt down next to it and examined it. “It looks like the thing next to the Number Nine Door.”

“Try pulling the lever, Sigma,” Phi instructed. With all the exits currently locked, the lever was obviously the only way to make progress.

Sigma stubbornly asked, “Why should I…?”

“It might be dangerous.” Phi shrugged. “Maybe it’ll trigger an explosion? Or maybe it shocks you when you pull it? Who knows?” The corners of Phi’s lip crept upwards teasingly.

Sigma groaned theatrically. “Right. Then I have no choice…” Then, Sigma abruptly waved his arms wildly in front of his face. “Did you think I’d just do it after you said that, you heartless monster!” He didn’t mean it, though; Phi could tell that he was just exasperated.

Before Phi could continue teasing, the door leading leftwards dinged cheerfully as it unlocked. Phi and Sigma turned around to see Luna standing next to the lever as it sprang back up to its original position from the bottom. “Eh, hee, hee,” Luna giggled softly as she drew her hands to her cheeks sheepishly. “It sounded like you two might be a while, so I pulled the lever. Is that okay?”

“Hmm…” Phi murmured as she considered the results of Luna’s action, “Only the door on the left opened?”

“Yeah, the others are still shut tight,” Sigma said, “I wonder why they didn’t open?”

“Well, we should get going anyway,” Luna cut through the discussion, before approaching the unlocked door.

As Luna got close, a holographic plaque sprung into being across the centre of the door. It read ‘Control Room’. That sounded like the room they were about to enter was highly significant. Luna took another step forward and the door opened automatically receding into the ceiling. Luna stepped through into the dim light beyond. With a nod to Sigma, Phi followed.

 

“What is this place?” Sigma gasped as he entered.

The control room was shaped like a giant ‘L’, with the inside corner being taken up by an enormous window, below which were the control consoles and innumerable array of buttons that gave the room its name. Unnatural purple light hazed through the window, casting across everything it touched with a powerful aura. It was this light which had caused Sigma’s gasp. Phi approached the window and stared down through it into the pit beyond.

“I can see a huge machine of some sort on the other side of this window,” she announced to the others. The centre of the machine was a bulbous dome, from which the purple glare emanated, and it was fed from the outskirts of the pit by eight wreathing pipes. “Maybe a generator?” That was the best of several – all extremely bad – possibilities. The reason the possibilities were so horrifying was obvious from the merest glance at the machine. Deep within the dome, seeable even through all the violently glowing purple, was a spark Phi recognised: one she had seen quite recently.

The spark… of antimatter.

This was bad. Terrifyingly bad. If it had been merely this machine, and if it was merely a generator, then everything might have been okay. But because of this generator, the destructive power of the bomb upstairs was magnified to uncontrollable proportions. All that bomb needed to do was shatter that dome and the antimatter reaction would cascade to the antimatter that fuelled that reactor.

Sigma walked up next to Phi and also gazed at the generator. “What is that thing?” he asked.

Phi resisted the urge to point out that she had just said that it was probably a generator. If she said that again, Sigma might just be perceptive enough to make the connection to antimatter; it wouldn’t help to panic him and Luna. “An octopus?” It was the first attempt to joke the matter away that came to Phi’s head, based on the shape of the machine and very little else.

“That’s a pretty big octopus!”

Phi was in now; she had to continue. “Yeah, it’d take us all our lives to eat something that big.”

Sigma looked dumbstruck. “Don’t… eat it…” he mumbled.

But then, Luna gave the game away. “Um… uh… I think that maybe that’s… an annihilation reactor.”

Sigma’s outburst following that was immediate. “A-Annihilation?! You mean… like that bomb?”

Luna bowed her head mournfully. “Yes. The core of the annihilation bomb would work on the same principles. I think Phi knows a lot more than me about these things, though.” So not only did Luna alarm Sigma, but she also had to give away that Phi had been concealing that information. Ugh.

“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Phi said, shrugging, “I’ve just picked up a few tidbits of information here and there. If it is what Luna thinks, it should be pretty simple.” Phi began to explain, “There’s going to be a bunch of matter and antimatter in there – probably hydrogen and antihydrogen – bumping into one another. When they do, they annihilate one another – that’s where you get the name – and release a bunch of energy. You can actually calculate how much energy by taking the mass defect and…”

“Gah! Stop! Too complicated!” Sigma suddenly interrupted. As Phi hoped, her explanation had utterly confused him, distracting him from realising the most important connection between the bomb and this reactor. Sigma continued, “You’re saying that octopus thing is a machine that runs of annihilation energy, right? That’s all I need to know! Okay?”

“Well, ‘machine’ is a weird way to put it. It’s more like an engine, like a steam engine or an internal combustion engine,” Phi said, focusing on the aspects of the machine least like the bomb, “Just… better.”

“All the electricity in this facility is generated by Mr. Octopus,” Luna added.

Sigma scratched his chin. “So that would make this room…”

“Yes. This is Mr. Octopus’s control room.”

Sigma pondered for a couple of seconds, then shook his head, glancing away from the window. “Right, well, let’s split up and look around,” he changed the subject.

“We need cards with the moon on them for the next AB Game, right?” Luna asked.

“Yeah.” Sigma nodded. They’re probably in this room in a safe somewhere.”

Striding forcefully further into the control room, Phi commanded, “Then let’s get started!”

 

Phi turned away from the control console and inspected the wall opposite the braid window. The first thing she saw to the right of the entrance door was a compact machine with two solid metal arms angling over it. The exposed top of the machine looked like the whirling teeth of an industrial-power blender, though if it was such a thing it had nothing to contain what it shredded. Phi tried to play around with the controls – both on the blender itself and on the computer screen next to it – but they didn’t react.

Carrying on along the wall, Phi came across a potential explanation for the lack of response from the device. Beside it was a circuit board with a series of levers at the connections and one extra lever, coloured brightly with black and yellow stripes above a label ‘Power’. That final lever was stuck in the off position; it wouldn’t move at all until all the other levers were in the right configuration. Phi was about to try and solve the puzzle of how to arrange the other levers when she realised it was impossible. One of the levers, right near the top, was missing.

Phi continued past the array of levers and spotted an A4 sheet of paper glued to the wall. Phi leaned in close, but all that was written on it was a jumbled pattern made of the words ‘On’ and ‘Off’ scattered in random locations. For a moment Phi guessed that it was a guide to the levers of the circuit board, but the locations of the words had absolutely no relation to the levers. Phi gave up on it.

Phi walked on, passing two obviously locked cabinets that she paid no further attention to until she could look around enough to get some clue as to their passwords. As she reached the corner of the ‘L’, Phi rummaged through the rows of binders held by the shelving nestled in it. It wasn’t much use. All the information inside was in unreadable number code. More interesting were the items placed in a gap between the stacks of folders. Still in their ‘Back-to-School’ packaging were a drawing compass and protractor. They had to be useful somewhere in the puzzle; Phi pocketed them.

When Phi carried on to the next lot of shelving she finally found the safe for this puzzle room, sitting by itself and in plain view. The end of the puzzle had been found; now all Phi needed to do was work hard to understand the rest of it. But just as Phi prepared to do so…

 

A suddenly starting, drawn-out, agonised groan came from Sigma’s throat behind her. There was an uncontrolled thump as his body collapsed.

Phi span around to see Sigma slumped over the control panel on this side of the corner, his left arm slumped across a laptop that had been placed across the space between the switches. His head was twitching slightly, just as it had when he collapsed in the AB Room.

Luna rushed to Sigma’s side, frantically yelling his name. She quickly, if crudely, checked his vital signs, and, on confirming that they were stable, relaxed from single-mindedly distraught all the way down to merely desperately concerned.

“This happened before,” Phi explained, in the hope that it would help Luna’s diagnosis, “in the AB room. It was just before I voted. It was just before…” Phi had to say it. Now that Sigma had collapsed again, Phi had to say it. “When Sigma woke up then, he said something about bombs. I think he knew about the antimatter bomb in the crew quarters. I don’t know how.”

Luna wasn’t fazed by Phi’s revelation. She continued to tend to Sigma, crying, “Why, Sigma? Why didn’t you tell me you had collapsed? Why didn’t you tell me you were going to collapse?”

Eventually, perhaps after only a minute, though it seemed longer, Sigma stirred. As his head rose, he looked at Luna and asked, “Where am I?”

Luna held Sigma’s shoulders steady and gazed professionally into his eyes. “Sigma, I think you may have had a concussion or a stroke or something.” Raising her right hand in front of Sigma’s face, she rhythmically swung her finger across his field of vision. “Sigma, can you follow this motion?”

Sigma deftly shook Luna off. “Damnit, Luna, I’m fine! I’m alright! Just tell me where I am!” He swung his head from side to side, taking in the room around him as though he hadn’t been there in a while. “Oh. Back here in the control room. I get it.”

“Wait,” Phi said firmly, “‘Back here’? You haven’t left.”

Sigma’s eye glazed over for a second. He shook his head in confusion. “I haven’t… left yet? Huh.” Then, in a small but sharp motion, Sigma’s head swung round towards the exit door. “We need to seek a way out of here.”

Phi shrugged. “Yeah, obviously.”

“No! I mean we get out of here right now! As quickly as we can! Something bad’s going to happen if we don’t.”

One second, Sigma was leaning pitifully against the control panel; the next, he was in rapid motion towards the safe. He purposefully reached out his arm and angled it down towards the safe’s buttons. His finger jabbed forward as though ready to type.

Then, Sigma froze. His outstretched arm shook involuntarily; it didn’t move another millimetre forwards.

Sigma’s head drooped. “I don’t remember the code… Why don’t I remember it?!” Almost under his breath, he muttered, “I guess this is what I get for letting other people open the safe.”

Phi frowned. “Sigma. What are you on about?”

“No time!” Sigma interrupted her. “I guess we’re just gonna have to do this the old-fashioned way.” As he said that, Sigma darted back over to the control panels, straight towards a row of six stubby levers to the right of the laptop he’d been slumped over before. He placed his hands around two of them, testing out their weight and resistance.

Phi moved to stop him. “Sigma, do you _really_ want to be messing around with those? After all, those controls are for the antimatter reactor. If you mess around with it…” Phi hesitated. She didn’t want to explicitly say, ‘It could explode.’

Luna spoke up, surprisingly forcefully, “Phi. I trust Sigma. Please, let him do this.”

“Thanks, Luna,” Sigma said, “I’m certain this is what we have to do. Let’s do this! Five… Four…” Sigma stretched out the pauses.

Phi sighed forcefully. “I thought you were in a hurry. Do you really need a countdown?”

“Okay, then… Zero!” Sigma finished the countdown anyway. Before Phi could reproach him, Sigma yanked down both levers.

There was an almighty screech.

 

Then the lever in Sigma’s right hand fell off. Nothing else happened.

“That… wasn’t very impressive,” Phi said.

Sigma shook his head from side to side flusteredly. “Huh? I was sure I was supposed to do that. I… meant to do that. Yeah, I meant to do that!” It sounded like an obvious excuse, but something about Sigma’s manner showed that he really meant what he was saying.

Suddenly, Sigma tossed the broken end of the lever to Phi. She deftly caught it, then noticed that the hinge of the lever hadn’t broken but come away entirely intact, almost at the same moment that Sigma said, “I think you’re supposed to use this somewhere. You know… somewhere.”

Now that Phi looked at it, the lever did look very familiar. She was about to ask Sigma more about it, but he was already dancing off again, towards the locked cabinets. This time, he appeared to know the codes and began swiftly typing them in. He paused only to tell Phi, “Aren’t you gonna use that thing already?” before turning back to the cabinets.

Phi inspected the lever again. Then, she realised it. There was one puzzle in the room that Phi hadn’t been able to attempt because it lacked a lever. Leaving Sigma to his own devices, Phi and Luna returned to the power grid next to the strange bender-like machine. As it turned out, the lever fit perfectly in the empty slot. As Sigma had predicted, the reason the lever had come loose was precisely so that it could be used in the power grid. How had he known that? Phi dismissed that worry from her mind. First they had to solve the puzzle; afterwards, she could question Sigma about what he was saying and doing.

Now that the puzzle of the power grid was solvable, Phi examined it more closely. Pipes ran from top to bottom, occasionally splitting or recombining, entering and leaving the board from apertures labelled with voltage displays. Though many of the digits of those displays were covered by question marks, they still provided a lot of information.

Luna approached the power grid and placed her palm gently against it. “I don’t think this machine really uses electricity in a conventional way. Those tubes carry some kind of special liquid to transmit electricity. Actually, it’s pretty complicated…

“The simple version is that you can adjust the voltage by adjusting the flow of liquid. If you turn a lever all the way to the left, all the liquid goes to the left tube. That means all the voltage ends up there as well, I think. Same if you send it all the way to the right. But if you put it in the middle, the liquid gets halved, and each pipe will get half the voltage.

“I think you need to adjust the levers so that the liquid gives us the right numbers on the bottom. Once you’ve got all the levers set, then I think you can pull down on the power lever, like this.” Luna gave the power lever a playful tug. “And that will activate the machine. I think that about covers it.”

“Why would someone even design a machine like this?” Phi asked.

Luna simpered pleasantly. “My only guess is that they wanted to make a puzzle out of this.”

That was interesting. If Luna was right, this facility wasn’t a warehouse repurposed to Zero Sr.’s nefarious needs, as the upper floor had suggested; it had been designed from the foundation up to serve as the players’ prison and their trial.

Phi considered the power grid, keeping Luna’s instructions in mind. The structure of the grid made it clear where Phi had to start: at the right, where the structure of the pipes was simpler and she should efficiently narrow down her options. With the far right hand pipe wanting to reduce 240V to a two digit number using only two junctions, it was obvious to Phi that the fluid had to be split both times. Starting with that, Phi was able to work her way across the grid, confidently moving each lever into position. Once Phi was certain everything was ready, she allowed Luna to approach the power lever. Luna reached up and smoothly pulled it down.

The strange machine beside the power grid whirred ferociously to life.

 

“So, what are we supposed to do with this?” Phi asked.

Luna leaned over the now-active touchscreen and tapped away at it. “It’s saying it’s missing some parts. Without them, I don’t think we’ll be able to continue…”

Before Luna could explain, Sigma returned, lugging behind him two bulky items from the cabinets. The first was a clear container within which a multi-coloured branching structure was suspended in preserving fluid; Phi recognised it as a section of the root structure of a rainbow tree – Latin name eucalyptus deglupta. The other item was a thick uniform loop of metal. Before Phi could ask Sigma what he was doing with them Sigma had already attached the metal loop to the arms angled over the blender-like centre of the machine. It fitted perfectly. Then, Sigma slotted the base of the rainbow tree’s container into the centre. It fitted perfectly, and the machine illuminated the roots with a ghostly hue.

Once again, Sigma had predicted what they would need in advance. How had he done that? How had he done that again and again and again? Just as he had impossibly predicted the existence of the bomb before it had been planted, he was now effortless predicting the course that the control room puzzle took, consistently staying one step ahead of its requirements. Phi glared suspiciously at Sigma. How the hell was he doing that?

Luna, as though sensing the energy flying between Phi and Sigma, backed away towards the touchscreen. “I think I might know how to use this machine. It’s some sort of CT scanner, for taking cross sections of things like that root. Why don’t you just give me a few minutes to see if I can make this work?” Luna turned around and became engrossed by the workings of the machine, or at the very least made the polite pretence of becoming engrossed in order to given Phi and Sigma the space they needed.

Phi took that chance. “Sigma,” she commanded, “Explain.”

Sigma shrugged innocently. “Huh? Explain? What are you on about?”

“Don’t play dumb, Sigma. You collapse again, just like you did in the AB Room, and then the moment you wake up you start acting strange. Then you start acting like you know this puzzle inside out. So, Sigma. Explain.” When Sigma didn’t respond, Phi decided to lead him along towards the explanation she was looking for. “Let’s break this down, start at the beginning. Why are you so urgent to escape this room? You said earlier that you thought something bad was going to happen when we leave this room. What was that?”

Sigma sighed. “I’m not sure. I think there will be some sort of announcement or something when we leave, and then… No, maybe the announcement was a long time before we left…” Sigma shook his head miserably. “My memories are all jumbled. I just don’t know, okay?!”

“You ‘just don’t know’?” Phi quoted Sigma pointedly, “That’s a new one.”

Sigma reflexively giggled. “Yeah, that’s right! But really, is this so unusual? You just knew my name. I just knew how to get through this puzzle.”

“It’s not the same,” Phi stated, “For one thing, you completely left out the fact that you knew about the bomb before the rest of us saw it. Plus, there’s a complete difference in scale here. You’re coming up with complex arrays of information here, all of which interlocked perfectly. You directed Luna and me to set up this machine, and at the very same moment you knew exactly where to find the missing parts for it. We didn’t even know there were any missing parts then! There’s no way you can just come up with information that specific without evidence and just expect it to be correct. Which either means you knew about it beforehand, or something very strange is going on.”

“How the hell does none of that apply to you guessing my name? What, is ‘Sigma’ a common name where you’re from? Are there like a whole crew of us roaming around, so that the first name you think of for guys in general is ‘Sigma’? I mean, there’s no way you can just come up with someone’s name and just expect it to be correct.” Having deflected Phi’s words back at her, Sigma held out his palms openly and conciliatorily. “Something strange _is_ going on here, but I think we can work it out together.”

 

At that moment, Luna finished operating the CT scanner and joyfully announced the results. “We’ve got the safe password!”

Sigma hustled over to join her. “Let me have a look! This time I definitely want to remember it for myself.”

That was an odd way of putting it, but Phi didn’t comment as Sigma memorised the password and returned to the safe. He hastily typed in the code; now that the end of the puzzle was in sight, Sigma seemed to remember the urgency with which he had wanted to escape. The moment the safe door was open, Sigma started rummaging through the contents.

“Yes! This is just like I remember!” Sigma exclaimed, “Let’s see… Here. You can probably read this better than I can.” He then passed Phi a folded up map.

“A map. You honestly don’t think you can read a map?” Phi gibed.

“I didn’t say that. I just said you could read it better than I could.”

Phi grudgingly accepted the complement and unfolded the map. “This one says it’s a map of ‘Floor B’. The one we found in the crew quarters said ‘Floor A’. Hm… We came down here using an elevator, right? So that would make A the top floor.”

“Seems weird,” Sigma said, “Don’t the numbers normally count up from the bottom floor?”

Phi pondered Sigma’s question. “Well, look at it this way. ‘A’ stands for ‘Above’, ‘B’ for ‘Below’.”

Sigma sighed. “That wasn’t any less ominous the last time you said it.” Once again, Sigma was saying something very strange – Phi hadn’t said anything like that before – but Phi held back her comments about it to keep the peace.

Phi could see that the rooms on this floor were arranged into four groups, corresponding to the three Chromatic Doors, red, green and blue, as well as another large room – presumably another warehouse – and other rooms behind it that couldn’t be accessed until one of the puzzles was solved. By tracing their path from the elevator down to the control room, Phi was able to see that the exit door emerged right by the red Chromatic Door.

Sigma then handed Phi an Ambidex Keycard, keeping the other for himself and Luna. This one was very similar to the sun card that had been used to open the AB Rooms before, but it had a crescent moon printed on it to distinguish it.

The penultimate item Sigma retrieved from the safe was nowhere near so familiar as the others. “That looks interesting,” Luna said, peering down at the object in Sigma’s palm, “It has a keyboard on it and a tiny screen and a cable connected to the top. Does that make it some sort of computer?”

Sigma turned over the device, then flipped it back upright again, examining it bemusedly. “It didn’t seem that important last time around…” Once again, Sigma used the unusual phrase ‘last time’. “But we might as well take it with us for now.” Before Phi could get a closer look, Sigma pocketed the device.

 

The only item left in the safe was the escape key. Sigma snatched it up and raced to the exit door. Though he inevitably wasted time counting down – “Three! Two! One!” – after a flurry of motion the way out was clear. “I did it!” Sigma exclaimed.

Then, just as Sigma raised his foot to cross the threshold, an announcement played.

“An Ambidex Gate had been opened. Forty-five minutes remain until Ambidex Game polling closes.”

“What?!” Sigma roared, “How can…? We got out quicker this time! A lot quicker! I’m sure of it! How can they have got back to the warehouse quicker this time?”

Sigma made to run off towards the elevator back up, but Phi darted in front of him to block him. “So, you were right about the announcement,” she stated, “Now, I think it’s time you explained what the hell is going on.”

Sigma glanced away sullenly. Phi grasped his chin and wrenched his face back round to face her.

Sigma sighed. “Fine. I’ll try my best. I feel like… like I’ve experienced solving the control room puzzle before. It was exactly the same until the moment we finished looking at the reactor. But we solved it… the normal way, I guess you could put it. It took too long. The puzzle was so fiddly, so many different little details that we had to find and understand.”

“I’m sure it wouldn’t have taken us that long,” Phi said. She was proud of her logical, problem-solving ability.

Sigma continued regardless. “Anyway, that announcement played while we were still inside. From then we were on a time-limit.”

“Yeah. A time-limit of _forty-five_ minutes.”

“No. Not just that. I think some other bad stuff is going to happen when we get back up there. Stuff we weren’t there for the first time around. Stuff we weren’t able to help out with. I don’t think I can be any more specific here. There’s so many possibilities, all jumbled together inside my head. You just have to trust me on this, okay?”

“Hmm…” Phi replied non-committally, “So what you’re saying is that you used your knowledge of your first time through to solve the puzzle?”

“Yeah.” Sigma gestured down the corridor towards the red Chromatic Door. “Can I explain as we go? We need to get back up there, remember?”

Phi acquiesced. As they hurriedly walked back towards the elevator, she prompted Sigma, “Go on.”

“I think either you or Luna must have opened the safe; I couldn’t remember the code. But I was able to speed up the rest of the puzzle by cutting out the rubbish. I really thought we’d solved it quicker this time. But the announcement still happened before we got out. It’s like… like the world knew we were gonna escape faster and sped up its own timetable to screw with us.”

Phi, Sigma and Luna stepped into the elevator. The doors shut behind them; the elevator began to rise.

Sigma hung his head wearily. “Well, I guess I’ll be able to find out what’s going on this time around. At least there’s that.” Then, he turned his head to look at Phi fondly. “Hey, Phi. I think I got what you were doing earlier: not giving too many details about the octopus reactor. It took me two run-throughs to get it, but I did. You didn’t want me to panic, did you?” Sigma chuckled breathily. “I appreciate you thinking about me like that; you meant well. Thanks, Phi.”

Phi nodded, taking Sigma’s words to heart. She stayed silent as they ascended, rapidly approaching the unknown calamity they would find when they returned.

They could only hope that this time around, they would make it with time to spare.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Does the extra twist in the puzzle work here? I didn't want to just have them solve the puzzle, not on the true route and especially since this is one that you see in game. I was also inspired by the research run-through I played when I planned the routes. I didn't look at the puzzles when I did my first research run - just opened up the safes to make sure I knew what was inside - but on exiting all the events continued to happen as though I hadn't been completely cheating._


	69. Conservation of Momentum

Phi, Luna and Sigma leapt out of the elevator and hurried swiftly back towards the warehouse, where an Ambidex Room had been prematurely opened. As Luna started to trail behind, Sigma spun around to face her, still running along the corridor – now backwards – with surprising agility.

“Luna! We’ve gotta keep going!” Sigma’s expression showed both his desperation and his confusion; even he didn’t know exactly the source of his urgency.

“I… Yes, Sigma! I can do it!” Luna’s face creased up with extra effort. She picked up the pace.

The three of them sprinted down the corridor and swung round the door that led to the lounge. They crossed the lounge in less than a second. And then, moments later, they skidded into the warehouse.

Tenmyouji, Clover and Dio stood there, contrasted from the new arrivals by their stillness. Sigma advanced purposefully, panting heavily, on the three players who had gotten back before him, his head swinging wildly between them as he tried to gauge their reactions.

“Hey!” Sigma roared, “What the hell is this?! Why’d you open one of the AB Rooms before the rest of us got back?!”

Tenmyouji folded his arms tightly and turned to face Sigma square-on. “Clover and I haven’t done anything,” he replied neutrally, “Dio didn’t feel like waiting, I guess.”

With only a couple of sharp steps, Sigma moved to stand right in front of Dio.

Dio regarded him coolly. “You got a problem?”

“Yes! Yes, I do have a problem!” Then Sigma paused. He seemed to be weighing up how much to explain about his dread, and how much to conceal.

Before Sigma could speak, Dio brushed him aside with a casual shove into his shoulder. “I don’t remember anyone saying anything about waiting until everyone got back to open the AB Rooms.”

Sigma struggled to recover. When he had finally done so, he gasped, “Are you kidding me? We didn’t talk about it because we thought it was common sense!”

Dio just shrugged. That argument – indeed, all arguments – would have no effect on him. As far as Dio was concerned, the entire conversation about the AB Rooms was over and should never have been started in the first place.

Phi took stock. It had been the announcement triggered by Dio’s opening of the AB Gate that had driven her, Sigma and Luna into their mad rush back up to the warehouse. Despite Sigma’s desperation, it seemed that the only crisis had been resolved. Sure, the forty-five minute time limit imposed by the Ambidex Game could have been dangerous had they still been trapped in the control room. But they were out now. If this was the danger that Sigma had warned them about, it was over. Phi let out a sigh of relief.

 

At that moment, K burst into the warehouse. His feet clanged gracelessly against the floor; something terrifying had robbed him of his usual restraint.

“Oh, thank goodness!” K boomed gratefully, “You’re all here! It’s Quark, you see. He…”

“What?!” Tenmyouji exclaimed, “What happened to Quark?!”

K answered, “He collapsed.”

Tenmyouji sprang forwards, racing towards the yellow door. He had made the connection as quickly as Phi had: if Quark was in medical danger, the best place that K and Alice knew to take him was the infirmary. That perfectly explained why Alice and Quark were absent, and why K had entered alone.

This had to be the catastrophe Sigma had foreseen. Phi’s paranoia then corrected her: this could easily be the start of a series of entangled catastrophes. Phi accelerated instantly to follow Tenmyouji towards the infirmary: to no surprise at all, Sigma did likewise.

Phi arrived in the infirmary to find Tenmyouji standing over the hospital bed that contained Quark, desperately shaking the unconscious boy by his shoulders. “Quark! C’mon, kid! Get ahold of yourself!” Tenmyouji shouted hoarsely.

Alice stood passively by the bed, respectfully allowing Tenmyouji to express his grief. Even as Tenmyouji’s unthinking attempts to rouse Quark grew more and more jolting, Alice didn’t intervene.

But when Clover entered the room behind Sigma and Phi, she did. “H-Hey! What are you doing?!” Clover exclaimed as she tugged on Tenmyouji’s elbows, “He’s sick, and we don’t even know what’s wrong with him! What if you’re making him worse?!”

Tenmyouji’s shaking arms gradually wound down till they stopped. He looked Clover in the eye, the beginnings of tears forming in his own. “Then what am I supposed to do? I have to save him.”

By then, all the other players had arrived: K led Luna and Dio into the infirmary. The gravity of Quark’s situation was immediately clear to all of them.

Except Dio. “‘Save? That seems a little extreme. Maybe he just has anaemia or something?”

Tenmyouji glared at Dio furiously. “No, that’s not it,” Tenmyouji growled, “I know him better than any of you. He doesn’t have anaemia. He’s never just… collapsed before.”

Dio shrugged. “Well then. Call an ambulance and stop freaking out about it.”

“You son of a bitch! This is serious!” Tenmyouji clenched his fists at Dio, but didn’t do anything.

Phi glanced at a machine that had been attached to the bed that Quark lay in. “The infirmary seems pretty well equipped. There are plenty of diagnostic tools, but…” Phi had no idea how to use them. Simple first aid was, of course, well within her grasp, but to get anything more out of the equipment, they would need a proper expert.

“Well, we’ve got Luna,” Sigma said. As all eyes turned to him, and Luna shrunk backwards modestly, Sigma explained, “Luna has a medical license. She told me that earlier.”

Phi recalled the conversation she had had with Luna earlier. The medical license had come up, but during the hectic events that followed it had slipped Phi’s mind. “That’s right. Luna, you’re the best person we have to treat, or at least diagnose, Quark.”

Luna held her hands up in front of her face bashfully. “Um, well, yes, but…”she stuttered.

Tenmyouji wheeled around and held out his arms pleadingly. “You have to take a look at him, then! Please! Quark needs your help!”

“Okay. I’ll see what I can do.” Luna gently motioned Tenmyouji aside, then switched on a machine right next to Quark’s bed. “I think this machine is a medical scanner. It’s called an ‘ADAM’. It uses nuclear magnetic resonance imaging…”

Phi interrupted. “I don’t want to rush you, but the sooner the better, Luna. Just let us know if you need anything.”

“Of course.” Luna retrieved a scanning attachment from its storage slot in the ADAM, then waved it precisely and thoroughly over Quark’s body. Once she was done diagnosing Quark she stared at the screen, turning deathly pale as she read the results. “I… I know what’s wrong with him. I feel so terrible saying this, but… Quark has an infection. A viral infection. Radical-6.”

So the newspaper had been telling the truth. There was no way to get around it. Even if the ADAM was also lying, it was too much to believe that Quark had coincidently succumbed to another debilitating disease.

Tenmyouji sunk to his knees beside the bed. “Quark can’t be… There must be something we can do! How can we cure him?!”

Luna read the results of the ADAM once more, double-checking everything it said. “The ADAM says that there’s an anti-viral serum called Axelavir. It’s the only way to counteract Radical-6. If we can inject him with some, he should… he should be okay.”

“Where is it?!” Tenmyouji yelled, “Shouldn’t it be in the infirmary somewhere?” His face swung quickly between Dio and Luna, the two people still conscious among those that had first explored the infirmary.

Dio shook his head. “We looked around, but we didn’t see anything like that.”

Tenmyouji cut him off. “I don’t trust a damn thing you say! I’m asking Luna!”

“I’m sorry, but…”      

Tenmyouji let out a primal yell and scrambled over to the medicine cabinet opposite Quark’s bed. He rummaged through it, quickly taking in all the words on the labels. None of them were ‘Axelavir’. He turned back to the other players. “Damnit… What about the other rooms?”

Phi turned her head to the side apologetically. “No good. All that was in the control room was the generator, and the machinery to control it. No medicine.”

Tenmyouji didn’t acknowledge Phi’s response, instead turning to focus on K. “What about you, K? Was there any medicine in your room?”

“I’m terribly sorry. There was nothing of the sort in the archives. Books and so on in abundance, but… no medicine.”

Sigma gestured awkwardly. “Look, just to be sure… Tenmyouji, Dio, Clover, where did you three go?”

Tenmyouji opened and closed his mouth a few times, as if straining to answer. Clover answered for him. “Some place called the ‘B. Garden’. It was kinda like a park, with trees and stuff. But yeah… no medicine there, either. Maybe some medicinal plants?”

Tenmyouji collapsed against the wall and slid down to the floor. “Then Quark’s… he’s going to… Oh God no…”

 

Before anyone could console Tenmyouji, Luna spoke hesitantly. “Quark?” The boy was standing stiffly beside the bed, a weary and vacant expression marring his once cheerful face.

Tenmyouji recovered instantly from his grief, leaping up from where he had sunk and joyfully crossing the room towards Quark. He shouted, “Quark! Oh, thank God! You’re awake!”

That joy didn’t last.

“Get away from me!” Before anyone could react, Quark yelled inhumanly. His hands swept up purposefully, and Phi suddenly saw that Quark clenched a scalpel between them, the blade aimed directly towards his own chest. “I’m sorry Grandpa,” he muttered, “I have… have to… I have to escape. Like this!”

Quark drove the scalpel in towards himself. Phi didn’t react in time; she was frozen by shock. Sigma was not. He leapt across the intervening space and grabbed Quark’s hand at the last moment, throwing them both across the bed. Quark struggled, his entire body shaking furiously under Sigma’s grasp, but though Sigma was old, he held on tight.

It took the others a moment to realise what exactly had happened, but before long Phi, K and Dio were also restraining Quark, and with the pressure relieved from Sigma he was able to force the scalpel all the way away from Quark, Alice knocking it safely out of his hand. Quark’s shouts were getting increasingly shrill and frantic, and it was clear that Quark would not calm down. There were only two possible ways this would end. One was not tolerable. The other…

“Luna! Are there any tranquilisers in here?” Phi asked, “Hit him with some!”

Luna arrived next to her wielding an injection gun. After an intense effort to immobilise Quark’s leg, Luna struck, injecting the contents of the gun into the thigh. After a few agonising seconds Quark relaxed; he soon fell mercifully unconscious.

As Phi released Quark, she shuddered. That was one more piece of the mystery revealed. If Sigma hadn’t been there… he had been only person to react in time. That was enough to unnerve Phi completely.

Luna checked the screen of the ADAM once more. “Respiration, blood pressure, brainwaves… Everything’s normal. According to these readings, he’s in a very deep sleep. He should be alright for now.”

“What about the anaesthetic?” Phi asked, “How long will it last?”

“He shouldn’t wake up for a few hours,” Luna replied.

Dio started pacing about the infirmary, flexing his arms. “Man, he sure was strong for such a little guy.”

Luna explained, “I think that might be the virus’s fault. It probably attacks the part of the brain that governs reason. Without anything to hold it back, his body was using every ounce of strength he had.”

“So when Quark tried to kill himself, was that because of Radical-6 too?” Clover asked.

Luna agreed that it probably was. She asked the others if they had heard anything about Radical-6. One by one, they explained that they knew only that which had been explained by the newspaper article found in the infirmary, until…

 

Tenmyouji gasped. “U-Uh… What are you doing?”

Phi turned around and saw what Tenmyouji was reacting to. Alice stood right in front of the exit door, which had opened behind her; she stood stiffly and with an empty, hollow expression that was all too reminiscent of Quark’s. In her hand was clenched the scalpel she had taken from Quark. Phi was hardly the only one who had noticed; the seven players formed a wary semicircle around Alice, all of them staring at her. None of them could bring themselves to speak first.

“We’re going to die…” Alice muttered.

That just had to be the final piece of the unfolding disaster. Phi played it out in her head, imagining every last detail of the scenario where she Sigma and Luna had taken longer in the control room. Without Sigma present, Quark would have… would have… And immediately after that, Alice would have… would have…

“Huh?” Luna took a step towards Alice, but Alice’s right arm twitched, the tip of the scalpel moving ever-so-slightly upwards, and Luna froze.

“We’re all dead already…” Alice continued, “Only terrorists would resort to biological warfare like this… But they will… soon.”

“Hey, what the hell are you talking about?” Dio asked exasperatedly.

Alice’s voice dipped to a soft, breathy whisper. “You don’t understand?” Then, her entire face contorted as her mouth gaped open to its fullest extent. Alice roared, “All of humanity is going to die! The virus will spread! Adults! Children! Everyone! Everyone! There won’t be anyone left! I’d… I’d rather die here!”

For a moment, Alice didn’t move. It seemed as though her outburst had ended.

Then Alice took a single step back. The door closed in front of her; only the rapid, echoing footsteps gave any indication of Alice’s flight.

Alice had gone, taking the scalpel with her.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._


	70. Hamiltonian Path

Sigma was the first out of the infirmary after Alice, pausing only to allow the door time to automatically open before him, but Phi wasn’t far behind. She broke into a ferocious sprint, only to be brought up short when she caught up with Sigma. He was standing frozen at the intersection between the exit to the infirmary and the corridor that connected all the upper floor rooms; both doorways were closed, blocking sight in both directions.

“Sigma! Which way did Alice go?!” Phi asked forcefully.

“Agh! I don’t know which way she went,” Sigma replied.

“You don’t know! What’s the point of those wild intuitions you’re having if they don’t let you know important things like this?”

“Don’t ask me,” Sigma said, shaking his head, “It’s not like I’m trying to have these visions, or whatever they are.”

Phi sighed, “Well, maybe you should try, then.”

As she said that, the rest of the players emerged from the infirmary, Dio at the head. “You lost her?!” Dio blurted out as he saw them standing there. The other players, seeing Phi and Sigma standing still, also slowed down; all their momentum had been squandered.

Phi took charge. “Let’s split up and look. Quickly! She can’t have gotten too far.” Phi scratched her chin, trying to think of the best strategy should one of the players find Alice. “Look… if you find her, it’s best not to shout or anything. Just… do your best not to provoke her. Understood?”

 

They did. Sigma darted off to the left, so Phi headed right. That would only take her to the crew quarters, but it still seemed to be a plausible way for Alice to have gone. She had explored the crew quarters first, so she might instinctively return there. Something told Phi that, if Alice was going to do anything irrevocable, the crew quarters would be where she would do it.

Phi burst into the crew quarters at full pace. Each of the four cabins had its door closed, so Phi had to use precious seconds turning each handwheel.

Alice wasn’t in cabin four.  
She wasn’t in cabin two.  
Or cabin three.  
Or one.

Phi swore under her breath. Her guess had been completely wrong. There wasn’t any time to waste. Phi raced out of the crew quarters and towards the warehouse.

There wasn’t any sign of Alice in the warehouse, either. Phi checked, just be certain; she even peeked inside the AB Room Dio had opened. Alice wasn’t there. Phi moved on, sprinting through the magenta door.

Alice wasn’t in the lounge either. From the strewn cushions and clutter, it was clear someone else had already searched there already. As her hope started to drain away, Phi ran to the elevator. Alice had to be on the lower floor.

 

Once the elevator had taken Phi to the lower floor she darted straight forward through the blue door, letting her adrenaline carry her along. As she reached a corner in the corridor, a door automatically opened in front of her where she hadn’t expected it. Phi vaguely remembered that the map had marked it as a shortcut allowing the teams that had gone through the green and blue Chromatic Doors back towards the elevator. There was no reason why Phi couldn’t take that shortcut the other way.

Phi charged down the shortcut and found herself in another warehouse. This warehouse looked similar to the warehouse on the upper floor, but there were several key differences that Phi took in at a moment’s glance.

This warehouse had no AB Rooms. Where the AB Rooms had been on the upper floor, there were three doors that glowed from within with subtle white light: most likely, they were Chromatic Doors.

Where the Number Nine Door had been on the upper floor, there was a similarly shaped door that was different in every other regard: blank instead of labelled, unadorned instead of having an attached lever, rusted into obscurity instead of menacingly polished.

Finally, on the wall to Phi’s left was some blood-red graffiti, inscribed in the same style as the graffiti upstairs. It was much longer, and Phi didn’t have time to read it.

The warehouse also had one key similarity to the warehouse upstairs.

Alice wasn’t there.

Apart from the Chromatic Doors and the shortcut Phi had entered by, there were two other doors out of the warehouse, on the left beside the graffiti. Phi ran towards them. Only one of them opened, so Phi continued on through it.

 

As Phi sprinted down yet another winding corridor, she began to feel her breath catching in her throat. She had been running at her limit for so many minutes, looking for Alice. If Phi hadn’t found her… that had to mean one of the others had found her. But Phi couldn’t stop running.

As Phi rounded the corner, she had to sidestep around Sigma emerging from a door on her right. When she had her balance again, Phi turned and gazed into his eyes. Sigma shook his head. Phi shook her head.

“There’s one more room we can check,” Sigma stated, his voice trembling, “The gardens. I think that’s where Tenmyouji, Dio and Clover went. It’s this way; come on!”

Sigma and Phi dashed the last metre of the corridor until they reached an open door on their left. They squeezed through into the brightly lit garden. Once inside, Phi rapidly scanned the area, looking for Alice.

She couldn’t have gotten far in here. The ‘sky’ above the garden was, in fact, a ceiling, with the thin gaps between them betraying the hexagonal panels that made it up; where the sky descended it became a solid wall, keeping them inside.

Phi ignored the details of the plants in front of her; they mattered only as places where Alice could be concealed. Phi’s eyes followed the stream that flowed under and around the wooden walkway they were standing on until it drained into a pond in the far corner. No sign of Alice along it either.

As Phi took in all the details of the B. garden, she felt her skin crawl. Something was not quite right about this place. It was trying too hard to look like a natural, real garden; it was a room that couldn’t be trusted. Phi’s unease compounded with her fears for Alice until…

“Phi,” Sigma interrupted Phi’s thoughts, “Look left.”

Phi turned. There, where Sigma was pointing, she saw a cliff face made of stacked boulders, which cast shadows on everything before it. Phi stared into the deepest part of the shadows.

There, framed by the cliff face, Alice stood.

There, framed by the cliff face, Alice fell.

Blood poured from the wound in Alice’s heart. As the scalpel fell from Alice’s hand, it was clear that she was already dead. There was nothing Sigma or Phi could do.

Phi collapsed, slipping off the wooden walkway into the stream that flowed below it. Alice’s death was her fault. She hadn’t been quick enough, hadn’t been smart enough, hadn’t been right enough. Hell, Phi was the one who had betrayed Alice in the first AB round; who knew if that was what triggered Alice’s descent into despair?

As the water washed Alice’s blood over Phi’s legs, rivulets of red staining the stream down to every last drop, Phi choked on her own guilt. She had failed.

 

**Game Over…**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_This sort of 'Game Over...' should be familiar. Just as in VLR, we had to reach this bad end so that Phi would know where Alice went, giving us **Plot Lock 11: Deja Vu**. And, just like in the game, the lock unlocks automatically. (Plus, Internet points for Psiidmon for guessing this back at chapter 37)_

_Since the only place we can make progress is through this very Plot Lock, we'll be starting back at the end of chapter 69 next time._


	71. Battle in the Stream

_We return to the end of chapter 69, now able to clear **Plot Lock 11: Deja Vu**..._

* * *

Sigma was the first out of the infirmary after Alice, pausing only to allow the door time to automatically open before him, but Phi wasn’t far behind. She broke into a ferocious sprint, only to be brought up short when she caught up with Sigma. He was standing frozen at the intersection between the exit to the infirmary and the corridor that connected all the upper floor rooms; both doorways were closed, blocking sight in both directions.

“Sigma! Which way did Alice go?!” Phi asked forcefully.

“Agh! I don’t know which way she went,” Sigma replied.

“You don’t know! What’s the point of those wild intuitions you’re having if they…” Phi choked on the words she was trying to say. Images _flashed in front of her eyes._

_She was kneeling in a stream. Her head was bowed; Phi tried to raise it but found the struggle to do so immense. Bright light speared down from above, scattering off every ripple of water. As Phi watched the patterns the reflections made around her knees, she felt a thick, viscous liquid creep over them._

_It was red. It was blood._

_Phi threw in an immense effort and strained to raise her head. Her eyes followed the rivulets of blood back up the stream: around the meandering bends, past banks of waving grass and weakly sprouting flowers, and all the way back to its source._

_The blood was Alice’s. Alice knelt limply in the shadow of a rocky cliff-face, her very life draining out of her and into the water. As she gazed on, Phi knew exactly what she was seeing. She was seeing how Alice would die._

“Hey, Phi! You alright?” Sigma asked loudly, snapping Phi’s reverie.

Phi shook her head to clear her thoughts. “Yeah,” she dismissed Sigma’s concern. What the hell had that been?! While she had been in the vision, it had felt completely real. Now Phi wasn’t so sure. She would have dismissed it as just her imagination, but something about the whole deal seemed… familiar.

The rest of the players emerged from the infirmary, Dio at the head. “You lost her?!” Dio blurted out as he saw them standing there. The other players, seeing Phi and Sigma standing still, also slowed down; all their momentum had been squandered.

Phi took charge; it was reassuring to take control so soon after that moment of uncertainty. “Let’s split up and look. Quickly! She can’t have gotten too far.” Phi scratched her chin, trying to think of the best strategy should one of the players find Alice. “Look… if you find her, it’s best not to shout or anything. Just… do your best not to provoke her. Understood?”

 

They did. Sigma darted off to the left, so Phi… froze. Why couldn’t she move? Sigma had headed left, so heading right was the obvious, logical choice. Yet, Phi didn’t.

As Phi tried to force her foot forward, and as the other players left to start their search, she had a sudden spark of realisation. In that moment, she understood exactly what that horrific vision had reminded her of. It was exactly like how Sigma had suddenly just known everything about the control room. Sigma had also described what had happened to him as a ‘vision’: maybe, just maybe, it was the same as what had happened to Phi.

No. That was ridiculous. There was no way Phi had just had a vision of Alice’s death. That sort of thing didn’t happen. Never.

And yet, Phi couldn’t shake the conviction that what she had seen was true. She couldn’t shake the conviction that Alice was about to kill herself in that verdant brightly-lit room.

Very well, then. Phi would search there. Someone had to, at least, so it wasn’t like Phi was being completely irrational by giving in. Of course, she first had to work out where that room was. It wasn’t one that Phi had already visited. Phi tried to recall what the other teams had mentioned about the rooms they had opened. Only one possibility fit: Clover had mentioned that she, Tenmyouji and Dio had searched a room called the ‘B. garden’. That sounded right. Phi would search there.

She broke into a sprint, instantaneously accelerating to a punishing pace. Phi tore past Clover, Luna, K and Dio despite their speed along the corridor; as Sigma turned off the corridor to enter the lounge she tore past him as well. All that mattered to Phi was getting to where she was going. As Phi reached the elevator she dived inside and pressed the button to take it down. There were angry shouts from back along the corridor; Clover, K and Dio sounded frustrated that Phi was taking the elevator down alone. But that didn’t matter. All that mattered to Phi was getting to where she was going.

The moment Phi reached the bottom of the elevator shaft and stepped out, the doors closed behind her: probably the elevator being called back by those Phi had left on the upper floor. Phi ignored it. She was focused solely on her destination. Clover, Tenmyouji and Dio had searched it; that meant the blue door. Phi charged through it.

As she reached a corner in the corridor beyond, a door automatically opened in front of her where she hadn’t expected it. Phi vaguely remembered that the map had marked it as a shortcut allowing the teams that had gone through the green and blue Chromatic Doors back towards the elevator. Still, it was the wrong way. Phi ignored the shortcut and swung herself around the corner.

At the end of the corridor, Phi found three doors leading off a hub, exactly like behind the red door. Only one was unlocked. That had to be the entrance to the B. garden! Phi dived through.

 

As Phi entered, she saw instantly that she was right. The B. garden looked exactly like the room in her vision. That meant there had to be something to it. She hadn’t been there before; whatever had told her what the room looked like could also be right about Alice.

Having validated her vision, Phi’s mind edited out all the details of the garden: the blades of grass, the flowers, the ripples of water, the stocky zelkova tree. Compared to what Phi was looking for, they were irrelevant. Instead she stared with eagle-like focus on the cliff-face opposite the entrance. And, peering into the shadows it cast, Phi saw what she was looking for.

There, framed by the cliff face, Alice stood.

There, framed by the cliff face, Alice raised the scalpel high.

As Phi stepped forward, time froze. The knife seemed to be descending so slowly, so casually, and yet Alice was so far away. Phi only had one chance; she had to cross the distance in time. As she leapt desperately toward Alice she stretched out her arms towards Alice’s wrist. Even as Phi’s mind strategized and calculated, she knew it wouldn’t matter. All that mattered was the race: Phi, versus Alice’s scalpel.

Not knowing if she’d won or not, Phi crashed into Alice, forcing her arms to the side and driving her back into the rocks. There was a moment of complete silence.

Then Alice’s heavy breathing told Phi that she was still alive.

Then Alice’s guttural growl told Phi that it wasn’t over yet.

Alice wrenched her arms forward. Phi tried to hold them in place, but as her resistance gave way, Phi realised: Alice was stronger than she was, Alice was much better trained, and Alice was further boosted by the relentless Radical-6. Only Alice’s mindlessness had prevented her from overcoming Phi instantly. But inefficient as Alice’s assault was, she would free her knife eventually. She would stab herself, then. She might even try to stab Phi.

 

And whoever Alice stabbed, Phi would lose.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_This would have been **Plot Lock 12: Know the Terrain**. Fortunately, we got the key for this lock back in chapter 53 when Phi thoroughly explored the B. Garden. As such, we'll be heading straight through. _

_Merry Christmas!_


	72. Choice Versus Choice

Phi’s arms burned with frustrated exhaustion as Alice gradually but surely overpowered her. Alice would win any contest of strength between them, but Phi couldn’t see how this could be anything else. If Phi kept her hands on Alice’s wrist, she was stuck in the struggle; if Phi released Alice in order to attempt something, she would only have a second before Alice killed Phi or herself or both of them. Phi’s vision glazed over as she focused all of her energy into resisting, but then suddenly _all the pressure was released from her arms, and Phi was somewhere else._

_Well, not quite. When Phi’s vision cleared she was still in the B. garden. Not only that, but she was standing in almost exactly the same place._

_However, Alice was no longer in front of her. Instead, the alcove where Alice had tried to kill herself was veiled by a rushing waterfall. The water ran neatly to either side of the walkway and dropped into the stream._

_Phi advanced towards the gushing water, then took a single step to the side, placing her in front of a chrome control panel with three identical buttons on it in a row. Phi’s hand reached out and rhythmically pressed them in sequence. As Phi released the final button, the waterfall faded away with a mournful gurgle. Eventually, the way to the back of the cliff face was clear, just as it had been when Phi had first arrived in the B. garden._

_Curious, Phi took a step forward. A glint of metal shone out through the shadow, but as Phi approached it, it winked out and Phi was surrounded by pitch black darkness. Undaunted, Phi took one last step forwards, and as she was consumed by the shadow she faded back_ into the present.

Alice had returned, still bearing down on Phi with mindless fury. In the few milliseconds that Phi had been distracted, Alice had stolen another couple of inches; her blade was now excruciatingly close to Phi’s chest.

But now, Phi had a chance to stop her.

If Phi could reactivate the waterfall, that would change the game entirely. Alice didn’t know about it. Even if she did, the virus had disabled any chance she had of reacting to it intelligently. If Phi could turn the waterfall back on, then she would win.

Phi glanced over her shoulder carefully. The control panel was there, just as it had been in her dream.

It was also out of reach behind her.

Phi wasn’t going to let that stop her, though. All she needed was a bit of strategy. Phi stepped back, feigning unsteadiness as if she was being overwhelmed by Alice’s strength.

Alice stepped forward in turn, pressing her advantage.

That was exactly what Phi wanted.  Now she was one step closer to her goal, and still had control of the knife to prevent Alice from killing herself. Phi repeated the tactic, knowing for certain that it would work again.

It did.

Now Phi was almost there. As Alice once again closed the gap, Phi flexed her right arm, ready for what she had to do next. Phi, trusting her left hand to hold Alice at bay for just a second longer, flung her right hand out desperately towards the control panel.

She made it. With frantic rapidity, Phi tapped out the sequence she had seen in her vision.

For a moment, Phi thought she had failed: that the waterfall wouldn’t return and all her efforts were for nothing. But then the echoes of a fierce roar emanated from within the cliff face. Water spouted over the top of the rocks and crashed down onto Alice’s back. Alice, surprised, lost her footing on the now-slippery walkway; as Alice fell Phi levered her arm around and wrested away the knife. As the icy cold water washed over Alice, all the tension drained from her face; soon she was unconscious.

Phi had succeeded; Alice had been saved.

 

Once Phi had dragged Alice from the shallow but rapidly-deepening pool below the waterfall and checked her vital signs, she collapsed against the zelkova tree that overshadowed the doors in and out of the garden. She could barely move. The adrenaline rush had ended; as the pain returned it made it brutally clear how close Phi had been to failure. Now the only thing Phi could feel was the howling ache in her shoulders as they complained about what Phi had made them withstand. Heeding their tempting suggestion, Phi dozed in the shade of the tree.

Despite the roughness of the bark, finally having the chance to rest made Phi feel like it was luxurious. Her eyelids drooped closed. Phi let gravity take her and her head slipped gently to one side. It fell, and fell, and fell…

Until she was abruptly halted by a lump of cold metal and unyielding glass.

Phi jerked awake, panic driving her heartrate to a torturous speed. Though she had only felt it, she had already guessed what it was. Still, she had to be absolutely certain. Phi opened her eyes and stared fretfully at the object.

It was a bomb. A second antimatter bomb, labelled ‘01’.

Phi’s heart skipped a beat as she realised how dangerously close she had come to death: not just hers, but everyone’s. If she had fallen on it any harder, she could have easily set it off. Phi backed away, making sure that there was no possibility she could be that fatally clumsy again.

Phi was interrupted by Sigma’s hoarse voice, resonating through the doors. “Alice!” he yelled. He sounded anguished; he didn’t yet know that Alice was safe.

Phi forced herself to her feet as Sigma entered. “Oh, there you are. Good,” Phi said, keeping her tone neutral. She’d had some time to steady her nerves after the frantic fight, but she was still worried that some of her latent anxiety would show through. She wasn’t ready to discuss how she had known where Alice was, or the miraculous inspiration that had given her victory. She wasn’t yet ready to discuss the mortal fright the bomb had inflicted on her. “I’m glad you showed up. I’ll need your help to get her to the infirmary.”

“Then she’s, uh… alive?” Sigma asked.

Phi nodded. “Her breathing and pulse seem normal. She didn’t manage to wound herself either: at least, no obvious wounds. She’s just unconscious.”

“What about the scalpel?” Sigma asked.

“I got it away from her,” Phi replied. Then, since Sigma hadn’t yet moved to help her carry Alice, she commanded, “Anyway, we need to get her back to the infirmary. Give me a hand here.” Then, Phi remembered the bomb. Sigma had a right to know. “Wait, hold on! There’s… something I need to show you. Just stay calm, and look at the tree.”

Sigma did as instructed. He paused. Then his mouth dropped open.

“What the hell?!” he roared.

“Yep. It’s another bomb,” Phi stated, “And I’ve got more _good_ news. Think about the numbers for a moment.”

“You’re saying there’s another bomb out there somewhere: a number ‘02’ bomb?!”

“I can’t be sure, but it does seem pretty likely,” Phi replied.

“Who set it?” Sigma asked.

Phi tried to think about who had the opportunity. “Clover, Tenmyouji and Dio investigated the garden,” she recalled. However, remembering anything relevant after the end of the puzzles was impossible: Phi had been too focused on chasing Alice to notice unrelated details. “There’s also a chance someone else set it,” Phi conceded. Giving up, Phi returned to where Alice lay and placed her hands under Alice’s shoulders. “Anyway, we need to move Alice. Help me out here.”

 

It didn’t take long to get Alice back to the infirmary, where they were greeted with relief by the rest of the players.

“You found her!” Luna exclaimed. She gestured at the ADAM. “Please, bring her over here.” Once Sigma had laid Alice out on the ADAM’s bed, Luna took another injection gun full of Soporil Beta and injected Alice just as she had injected Quark. “Just in case…” Luna muttered.

Then, she started scanning. After about a minute of waving the scanning attachment over Alice, Luna turned around and raised her voice.

“Please pay attention, everyone! You need to hear this. The ADAM has finished scanning Alice. Her results are identical to Quark’s. She has also been infected with Radical-6.”

There was a short, strained gasp from Clover. “Oh no… No! What’s going to happen to her?!”

“Well, like I said before,” Luna said, “there’s only one way to cure Radical-6. The special anti-viral treatment Axelavir.”

Clover ran up to Alice’s bed, only barely able to keep herself standing beside it. “No… No… Oh Alice… I don’t want you to die! Please… You can’t die! I don’t want to be alone.”

Clover’s grieving was interrupted by an impersonal announcement playing through the facility’s speakers. “Ten minutes remain until Ambidex Game polling closes. All players please enter your votes. If no vote is recorded before the deadline has passed, any non-voting parties will automatically ally.”

“Uh, guys,” Dio murmured, taking a purposeful stride towards the door out of the infirmary, “I think we should be getting back to the warehouse.”

“What about Alice and Quark?” Sigma asked.

Dio shrugged. “I guess we’re just gonna have to leave them behind.”

“No!” Clover jumped up from where she was knelt next to Alice and marched angrily up to Dio. “Like heck I’m gonna leave Alice all alone. I’m staying here!”

Luna patted Clover on the shoulder gingerly. “She’s going to be fine… she’s sleeping, just like Quark.”

“I don’t care!” Clover tensed up her entire body, but eventually her rage subsided and she relaxed, slumping back against Luna. “I just want to stay with her. She shouldn’t have to be all alone by herself…”

Dio waved his hands in the air, scornfully dismissing Clover’s statement. “Whatever. She can do what she wants.” He looked unconcerned, but Phi saw a sliver of a grin instinctively form between Dio’s pursed lips.

Phi’s breath caught in her throat as she understood why Dio was so gleeful.

“I see… Dio and Tenmyouji’s opponent in the next AB Game is Clover. If she doesn’t vote, then she’ll default to ‘Ally’. Which, I don’t need to mention, would be pretty favourable for Dio. If she stays, he’s got an easy round.”

“Wh-Whoa!” Dio spluttered, “What are you saying? You think I’m gonna choose ‘Betray’?”

“Yeah,” Phi replied bluntly, “Am I wrong?”

“Yes! Of course I’m going to pick ‘Ally’!” Seeing that his mere assertion wasn’t convincing anyone, Dio scraped together a defence. “For one, Tenmyouji’s going to be in there with me! I can’t just ignore his opinion and make my own choice. Right?”

Unfortunately, Tenmyouji shook his head. “I won’t be going. I can’t leave Quark in here when he’s like this. I’ll be staying, just like Clover.”

Luna suddenly spoke up with an idea. “What if Dio stays behind too? If Clover, Tenmyouji and Dio all don’t vote then everyone allies, right?”

It seemed like a good plan, but suddenly K intervened. “Oh? You don’t know? You didn’t find a note like this one?” K unfolded a piece of paper and read it aloud, “It’s from Zero Jr. ‘Hare are some more AB Game rules for you! Not voting is not an hoption. If both parties refuse to vote, then everybunny get penalised!’ So you see? At least one member of each trio must vote. Otherwise…” K trailed off.

“So, that means K has to vote,” Phi pointed out, “Quark and Alice certainly aren’t in any condition to. If he doesn’t, all three of them are screwed.”

“Wait!” Dio snapped indignantly, “K’s got six BP right now. That means if K chooses ‘Betray’, he’s going to have nine points! Why’s everyone hounding me about what I’ll vote, and letting K just saunter out of here?”

K sighed. “Dio, please, think for a moment. You do realise Alice currently only has one BP, don’t you? I am not so desperate to escape that I would be willing to kill. Therefore, I will definitely choose ‘Ally. I have no choice. Unless, of course, I wish to become a murderer.”

That probably wasn’t the best way for K to have phrased it, but it didn’t matter. If K voted, Alice might die. If K didn’t, she would definitely die.

Another announcement interrupted the argument. “Five minutes remain until Ambidex Game polling closes.”

“We don’t have time to argue about this,” Tenmyouji stated authoritatively, “There’s only one solution. Clover, you’re going to have to go vote for us.”

“What does that mean?” Dio snapped.

Suddenly, Tenmyouji lept at Dio. “It means this!” Tenmyouji launched his fist towards Dio; it landed with a sickening crunch and Dio collapsed against the wall. “He’s not gonna stay down forever! Get out of here!” Tenmyouji told Clover.

“B-But,” Clover stammered.

Tenmyouji interrupted, “You and K are in the same position now. I’ve only got one BP too, so…”

“Are you saying you trust me with your life?” Clover asked hesitantly.

“That’s about the size of it. Now go! What the hell are you standing around here for?! Go! I’ll keep a good eye on Alice for you, I promise.”

Finally, Clover started moving, and all the other players who would be going to vote – Phi, Sigma, Luna and K – went with her.

 

There wasn’t much time, but Phi felt it necessary to at least talk to Sigma and Luna before they voted. “Hold on a minute!” she called after them as they dashed towards an Ambidex Gate, “You’re going to choose ‘Ally’, right?”

“Yeah, of course,” Sigma replied instantly, “Why do you ask?”

“You promise?” Phi paid careful attention to Sigma’s eyes, looking for any hint of deceit.

“Sure. I promise,” Sigma replied.

“Cross your heart?”

“Cross my heart.”

That was as good as Phi was going to get: she hadn’t noticed any duplicity as she tested Sigma. “You’re going to be in for a world of hurt if you double-cross me.” With that said, Phi turned away and entered her AB Room, letting the Gate close behind her.

Once again, those two options appeared weightily on the screen. ‘Ally’. ‘Betray’. Phi had to pick one, and she had only a minute to do it.

Could Phi trust Sigma to vote ‘Ally’? She’d done as much as she could to test his trustworthiness, and he seemed to be sincere. Not only that, but during the first AB Game when they had voted together, he had been insistent on allying with Alice. That boded well for this round.

But… what if Sigma was thinking the same thing? It had been Phi who had chosen to betray Alice: Sigma had to remember that. If he expected Phi to betray because of that…

Those were just the normal things Phi had to consider. After Sigma’s prediction about the antimatter bombs and after his behaviour in the reactor control room, Phi wasn’t sure that she trusted him. What was he hiding? He was hiding something from her, and that worried Phi to her very core.

And with both Phi and Sigma on six BP, this round was too high-stakes for Phi to take it lightly. Maybe, just maybe… Phi should betray Sigma first.

With everything that had happened so far weighing on her mind, Phi placed her hand over the touchscreen and made her choice.

 

**Choice:**  
**A) Ally**  
**B) Betray**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Well, it's the big one! I'm really curious to see which way you go on this AB Game. I guess we'll have to look forward to the next two weeks to find out._

 


	73. Battle of Cannae

_We had an exact tie in the vote. Normally, I'd go for whoever voted first, but here I'm going to make an executive decision and have Phi betray Sigma. This way, when the ff.net version of Empty Virtue gets back to the true route you'll be exactly level._

* * *

Phi pressed ‘Betray’. She wasn’t entirely sure why she did so. It just felt like the right thing to do. Even so, it was only moments after her finger left the button that Phi started to regret her decision. Hadn’t she promised to ally with Sigma? It seemed her promises meant as much as they always had.

Soon after, the Ambidex Gates opened and Phi stepped out. She looked around at all the other players leaving their rooms and caught sight of Sigma and Luna talking together in hushed tones. Phi sidestepped to the right to get close enough to overhear what they were saying.

“Yeah, of course,” Sigma whispered, “Phi picked ‘Ally’.” Phi felt a deep knot at the bottom of her stomach as he said that; he’d judged her so wrongly.

“You sound pretty sure of yourself,” Luna replied.

Sigma shrugged. “It’s not just confidence. I already know.”

As Sigma lifted his head Phi quickly averted her eyes and walked away. She couldn’t bear to look at Sigma right then. His bright tone of voice might it clear that he’d allied and he seemed so innocently certain that she’d done the same; Phi couldn’t let her eyes give away the truth. Phi walked all the way up to the results screen and studied it intently – despite the fact that the results weren’t up yet – letting her field of vision narrow until there was no chance of Sigma catching her eye.

The other players present – K, Clover and of course Luna and Sigma – gathered in as well until Phi was oppressively surrounded; still, all she could do was wait until the results were displayed. Phi waited, unmoving, until finally the projectors flickered into life.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

Tenmyouji                      1                             Ally                           +2                         3  
Dio                                 5                                                             +2                         7

Clover                            6                             Ally                           +2                         8

 

K                                    6                             Ally                          +2                         8  
Quark                             5                                                            +2                         7

Alice                               1                             Ally                         +2                          3

 

Sigma                             6                             Ally                         -2                          4  
Luna                               5                                                            -2                          3

Phi                                  6                           Betray                      +3                          9

 

Phi… was now on nine BP. She was on nine BP. It finally sunk into Phi, as she swept her eyes across the table of results again and again and again, that she had betrayed Sigma and was now on nine BP.

It had also come to the attention of everyone else.

Before Phi could make her move Sigma turned to confront her. “What the hell, Phi?!” Sigma shouted, “Why’d you choose ‘Betray’?! We promised!” With a deep sigh, Sigma looked away. “You chose ‘Ally’, before. Is this… you making me pay for when I betrayed you?”

“‘Before’? ‘Making you pay’? I have no idea what you are talking about,” Phi replied defensively. Sigma’s words didn’t make any sense. When had Sigma ever betrayed her? This was the first round where they hadn’t been on the same side.

It wasn’t only Sigma who Phi had to deal with. Clover, K and Luna also responded to Phi’s vote with alarm. “What happened?” Luna asked, raising her voice but much less than the other two. “Why did you choose ‘Betray’?” K asked sternly. Finally, Clover said acidly, ”You’re the only one who didn’t vote ‘Ally’.”

Phi backed away. She quickly realised the possibilities available, and just as quickly despaired. She’d never intended to escape; she’d had the feeling when voting that Sigma would betray and acted accordingly; part of her was perfectly willing to stay and help the others escape. But her opponents couldn’t know that; they had to assume she intended to escape and had to act accordingly themselves. And the only way she could avoid their retribution was by actually escaping. It was another damn Prisoner’s Dilemma. And she’d already betrayed in two of those. She had no option remaining but to continue along the path she was on.

“Well, I’ve got nine points now. So, sorry, but I’m outta here. I’m leaving, through the Number Nine Door,” Phi stated with finality. The moment Phi’s words were out of her mouth she leapt back.

She had delayed too long for an easy getaway. As she swerved to the right, she found Clover blocking her path; only a deft sidestep prevented Clover’s frantic jab from meeting Phi’s head. She dived left, but K was in the way, his armoured body forming an impassable wall. Phi retreated a couple of steps, waited for the perfect moment, then suddenly darted forward, dancing between them and charging the Number Nine Door.

Sigma appeared in her way. As he spoke, it was as though time slowed sown around them so that he could say everything he wanted to even in such a tense moment. “I’m not letting you go! What happened to you? I didn’t think you were the kind of person who’d ditch the rest of us just so you could get away.”

“That’s just who I am,” Phi replied weakly. Sigma’s desperate words had sapped her determination to escape. “Whatever. Just get out of my way.” Phi made one last attempt to get around Sigma but he sidestepped to block her.

“No! I’m not moving!” Sigma cried out.

There had to be some way forward to make it to the Number Nine Door but Phi couldn’t see it. She was sure she could overpower Sigma but it’d be messy and inelegant. With Clover and K closing in from behind, Phi didn’t have the time for that.

Phi was surrounded.

 

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_And so, we hit **Plot Lock 13: Si Vis Bellum, Para Pacem**. If only there were some way that Phi could be convinced to abandon all reason and just try jumping over Sigma..._

_As in VLR, the key to this Plot Lock is behind the bad end, so we'll return to the previous AB Game and head there next time. See you then!_


	74. Whoops! 6: Et tu, Brute?

_We return to the AB Game against Sigma, and choose 'Ally'..._

* * *

Phi pressed ‘Ally’. She was sure it was the right decision. She and Sigma had promised, and it warmed her heart to realise her promises meant something for once. Even so, it was only moments after her finger left the button that Phi started to regret her decision. Something whispered at the back of her mind, insinuating that she had made a horrible mistake.

Soon after, the Ambidex Gates opened and Phi stepped out. She looked around at all the other players leaving their rooms and caught sight of Sigma and Luna talking together in hushed tones. Phi sidestepped to the right to get close enough to overhear what they were saying.

“That’s a good question,” Sigma whispered, “I’m honestly not sure why I did it.” Phi didn’t know what to make of that: it was a statement that could swing either way.

“Well, we should go see the results,” Luna replied.

Sigma shrugged. “Right. Let’s go, then.”

As Sigma looked up his eyes almost met Phi’s but he quickly averted them. It was almost like he couldn’t bear to look at her. His dull tone of voice made it clear that something was up and Phi tried to see whether it was innocent or not; Sigma’s eyes didn’t give away the truth. Phi turned away and walked all the way up to the results screen and studied it intently – despite the fact that the results weren’t up yet – but she kept the scope of her attention wide so that she could focus her attention on the results screen, Sigma and his path to the Number Nine Door simultaneously.

The other players present – K, Clover and of course Luna and Sigma – gathered in as well until Phi was sure that there were enough players surrounding Sigma to prevent any possible escape; still, all they could do was wait until the results were displayed. Phi waited, unmoving, until finally the projectors flickered into life.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

Tenmyouji                      1                             Ally                           +2                         3  
Dio                                 5                                                             +2                         7

Clover                            6                             Ally                           +2                         8

 

K                                    6                             Ally                          +2                         8  
Quark                             5                                                            +2                         7

Alice                               1                             Ally                         +2                          3

 

Sigma                             6                           Betray                        +3                          9  
Luna                               5                                                            +3                          8

Phi                                  6                            Ally                          -2                          4

 

Sigma… was now on nine BP. He was on nine BP. It finally sunk into Phi, as she swept her eyes across the table of results again and again and again, that Sigma had betrayed her and was now on nine BP.

It had also come to the attention of everyone else.

Before Sigma could make his move Phi turned to confront him. “Well played, Sigma,” Phi spat, “I guess that promise meant a lot to you. Why did you do it?” With a deep sigh, Phi waited for Sigma to respond. He didn’t, so Phi eventually said, “Nothing to say? I guess I misjudged you. I thought you were better than this.”

Sigma spluttered. “Phi, I’m…”

Phi interrupted. She didn’t care what Sigma had to say for himself. “That was not a smart move, Sigma. I won’t forget this. I’ll make you pay, even if it’s the last thing I do.” Phi lifted her broach and held it in a tight furious grip. “Elapsam semel ocasionem non ipse potest Iuppiter reprehendere.” It was clear Sigma had no idea what Phi was talking about – he didn’t speak Latin – so Phi translated for him; she needed him to understand her hatred and resolve to stop him. “A Latin proverb. Not even Jupiter can find a lost opportunity. Not even Jupiter can take back what you’ve done. You’ll regret it.”

It wasn’t only Phi who Sigma had to deal with. Clover and K also responded to Sigma’s vote with alarm; even Luna, who had been in the AB Room with Sigma and known his vote, frowned disapprovingly at him. “Why did you choose ‘Betray’?” K asked sternly. Finally, Clover said acidly, ”You’re the only one who didn’t vote ‘Ally’.”

Sigma backed away. Phi could see him glancing around, surveying the possibilities available to him. Phi had to be ready for when he made a move. Sooner or later, Sigma would have to make a move for the Number Nine Door. If he didn’t move soon Phi would exact her revenge on him. He had no option remaining but to continue along the path he was on.

“I’m sorry, Phi. Now that I’ve done it… now that I’ve betrayed you… I need to stick to that choice with commitment.” The moment Sigma’s words were out of his mouth he leapt back.

He had delayed too long for an easy getaway. As he swerved to the right, he found Clover blocking his path; only a deft sidestep prevented Clover’s frantic jab from meeting Sigma’s head. He dived left, but K was in the way, his armoured body forming an impassable wall. Phi thought they had stopped Sigma, as he backed away from them, but suddenly he darted forward and, with surprising agility for his age, danced between them and charged the Number Nine Door.

Phi raced after him. She was now the only person capable of stopping Sigma from escaping. With all her fury focused completely on him, it was easy to outpace him. Just a metre away from the door, Phi caught up and slammed her fist into the back of Sigma’s neck. He collapsed to the floor. Phi knelt down on his back, pinning him. Just because he was down didn’t mean it was over. If he was allowed up again, he’d make it to the Number Nine Door. In any case, Phi still needed to get her revenge.

Phi dragged Sigma’s head up. Then, once the strain on the neck stopped it from moving any further, Phi slammed it down into the concrete floor. Once the echoing thud had died away, Phi slammed the head again, just to make sure. And then again and again, pounding Sigma’s head with a methodical efficient rhythm.

“Phi…” Luna said from somewhere behind her.

Phi ignored Luna. She continued her rhythm.

“Phi!” Luna said louder, “Maybe you should stop now.”

Phi looked up. Luna and K and Clover were staring at her in horrified bewilderment. They were staring at her like she was crazy. Like she had just killed someone.

Phi looked down. She observed the pool of blood, flowing out from under Sigma’s face. With that, the truth hit her. Phi was crazy. She _had_ just killed someone.

 

**Game Over…**

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_Well, that wasn't pretty. Still, at least we have the Plot Key for **Plot Lock 13: Si Vis Bellum, Para Pacem** now, right? Next time, we'll finally make it out of this AB Game._


	75. Plaudite! Fabula Pergit

_So, back to the end of chapter 72, to Betray Sigma one more time... (Also, I hope I haven't completely mangled the Latin in the title. If anyone knows better, a comment explaining what it should be would be amazing.)_

* * *

_“I’ll make you pay, even if it’s the last thing I do.”_

Phi pressed ‘Betray’. She knew exactly why she did so. Sigma had betrayed her and broken the promise he made to her; it was only right that Phi betray him now. When Phi had pressed ‘Ally’, she had instantly regretted the decision. Sigma’s promise had meant as much as promises always had and there was no reason for her to stick to her side of it.

Soon after, the Ambidex Gates opened and Phi stepped out. She looked around at all the other players leaving their rooms and caught sight of Sigma and Luna talking together in hushed tones. Phi sidestepped to the right to get close enough to overhear what they were saying.

“Yeah, of course,” Sigma whispered, “Phi picked ‘Ally’.” He’d thought he’d successfully tricked her this time; he had judged her so wrongly.

“You sound pretty sure of yourself,” Luna replied.

Sigma shrugged. “It’s not just confidence. I already know.”

As Sigma lifted his head Phi quickly averted her eyes and walked away. She couldn’t bear to look at that lying bastard then right then. His bright tone of voice made it clear how much pleasure he got from his imagined victory over Phi; he’d already given away the truth. Phi walked all the way up to the results screen and studied it intently – despite the fact that the results weren’t up yet – letting her field of vision narrow until there was no chance of Sigma catching her eye.

The other players present – K, Clover and of course Luna and Sigma – gathered in as well until Phi was oppressively surrounded; still, all she could do was wait until the results were displayed. Phi waited, unmoving, until finally the projectors flickered into life.

 

Player                             BP                           Vote                      Change                 Results

 

Tenmyouji                      1                             Ally                           +2                         3  
Dio                                 5                                                             +2                         7

Clover                            6                             Ally                           +2                         8

 

K                                    6                             Ally                          +2                         8  
Quark                             5                                                            +2                         7

Alice                               1                             Ally                         +2                          3

 

Sigma                             6                             Ally                         -2                          4  
Luna                               5                                                            -2                          3

Phi                                  6                           Betray                      +3                          9

 

Phi… was now on nine BP. She was on nine BP. It finally sunk into Phi, as she swept her eyes across the table of results again and again and again, that Sigma hadn’t voted ‘Betray’ this time and now Phi was on nine BP.

It had also come to the attention of everyone else.

Before Phi could make her move Sigma turned to confront her. “What the hell, Phi?!” Sigma shouted, “Why’d you choose ‘Betray’?! We promised!” With a deep sigh, Sigma looked away. You chose ‘Ally’, before.”

“I see. So you remember it too? The other round two,” Phi replied woodenly. Sigma’s words made sense, if that was the case. The only round where they hadn’t been on the same side was that round where he broke his promise and betrayed her. Phi was glad that he remembered. He’d understand that he deserved what happened next.

“You know?” Sigma spluttered, “You remember how I chose ‘Betray’ last time in round two?”

“Yeah, of course. Why do you think I chose ‘Betray’ this time? I told you that I’d make you pay. This is it.”

Sigma was the one that Phi’s fury was directed towards, but it wasn’t only him that Phi had to deal with. “What happened?” Luna asked, raising her voice but much less than the other two. “Why did you choose ‘Betray’?” K asked sternly. Finally, Clover said acidly, ”You’re the only one who didn’t vote ‘Ally’.”

Phi backed away. For some reason, everyone was siding with Sigma even though he’d betrayed first. That meant there was only one thing left for her to do. Get to the Number Nine Door and escape. Carthago delenda est. If she couldn’t trust anyone, then everyone should die, rotting away in the Nonary Game facility. When she’d started the game, she would have been perfectly willing to stay and help everyone else escape. No longer. Phi would continue along the path she was on.

“Well, I’ve got nine points now. So, sorry, but I’m outta here. I’m leaving, through the Number Nine Door,” Phi stated with finality. The moment Phi’s words were out of her mouth she leapt back.

She had delayed too long for an easy getaway. As she swerved to the right, she found Clover blocking her path; only a deft sidestep prevented Clover’s frantic jab from meeting Phi’s head. She dived left, but K was in the way, his armoured body forming an impassable wall. Phi retreated a couple of steps, waited for the perfect moment, then suddenly darted forward, dancing between them and charging the Number Nine Door.

Sigma appeared in her way. As he spoke, it was as though time slowed down around them so that he could say everything he wanted to even in such a tense moment. “I’m not letting you go! What happened to you? I didn’t think you were the kind of person who’d ditch the rest of us just so you could get away.”

“When someone betrays your trust,” Phi replied bitterly, “it feels like a part of you dies. For me, I guess it was the part that cared. I don’t think you have even the slightest idea what that feels like.” Seeing Sigma standing so obliviously in front of her only bolstered her determination to escape. “Whatever. Just get out of my way.” Phi made one last attempt to get around Sigma but he sidestepped to block her.

“No! I’m not moving!” Sigma cried out.

There had to be some way forward to make it to the Number Nine Door but Phi couldn’t see it. With Clover and K closing in from behind, Phi only had time for one more thing. She’d have to overpower Sigma. It’d be messy and inelegant but Sigma deserved everything she could dish out. Phi crouched down, tensed her muscles and then leapt at Sigma as hard as she could.

She found herself rising into the air. The force of her jump carried her so high that she cleared Sigma’s head by a good several metres. It reminded Phi of how she had accidently jumped through the ceiling hatch of the AB Room at the start of the game. Phi touched down on the other side of Sigma, rolled forward and, as she rose, wrapped her hand around the lever that would open the Number Nine Door. She had succeeded.

“How the hell did you do that?!” Sigma yelped as he spun around.

Phi didn’t answer his question, even as she turned to stare him down. “Plaudite! Acta est fabula!” It was clear Sigma had no idea what Phi was talking about – he didn’t speak Latin – so Phi translated for him; she needed him to understand her disdain. “It’s Latin. ‘Applaud! The play has ended!’ That’s what it means.”

Sigma didn’t appear to be listening to what Phi was saying. His eyes had gone unfocused, aiming into the distance past Phi. That expression seemed familiar to Phi. Still, Phi didn’t care to watch him ignore her final flourish. She turned back to the lever, placed both hands around and prepared to pull it down.

Then, Sigma’s voice rang out. “Elapsam semel ocasionem non ipse potest Iuppiter reprehendere!”

 

Phi froze. Sigma’s words didn’t make any sense. He didn’t understand Latin at all: how could he have quoted any Latin phrase that perfectly, never mind picking exactly the Latin phrase that was the motto on her mother’s broach? He’d picked exactly the phrase with most meaning to Phi and she had to work out how.

She’d never shown him the broach. Nor had he had the opportunity to read it without her knowing. In fact, the only time Phi had used the phrase around Sigma had been…

Suddenly, Phi had a moment of clarity. She realised how everything up to then had happened. She realised how close she had come to making a horrible mistake.

In her cold fury she hadn’t paid attention to the strangeness of it, but it was still the case that Phi was basing her anger on events in an alternate timeline: an alternate second round of the Ambidex Game. She had confirmed that Sigma was aware of it as well; again, her surprise at that had been buried under hatred. In the moment before Sigma had spoken, his eyes had become unfocused. Phi had seen Sigma like that twice before: when Sigma had foreseen the bombs and when Sigma had blazed through the puzzles in the control room. Phi had also been like that twice before, when she had found Alice and when she had fought Alice.

Phi now understood; she could make a reasonable guess as to how her and Sigma’s shared ability worked. In a moment of stress, where all mundane efforts had failed, she’d suddenly received a vision of an alternate timeline providing exactly the information she needed. The same had to be true of Sigma.

In the moment before Phi had opened the Number Nine Door, Sigma had desperately searched the alternate realities for anything he could say to stop Phi from leaving. He’d found what he was looking for. He’d found the sentence he had needed to say only in a timeline where he had betrayed Phi. The cause of everything that had just happened was obvious.

Phi had betrayed Sigma because Sigma had betrayed her. Sigma had betrayed Phi because Phi had betrayed him.

Phi’s hands fell from the lever. The Number Nine Door remained closed.

 

Sigma didn’t appear to realise that Phi had stopped; he continued desperately pleading with her. “Are you sure this is how you want it to end? What about finding Zero Sr.? The person who planted the bombs? We still don’t know the truth about any of it! If you leave now, we never will! Is that really what you want?”

Phi found herself unable to reply for quite some time. She needed several moments to come to terms with her realisation and to let her emotions settle now that she understood Sigma’s justification for betraying her; Sigma’s eyes boring into the back of her skull didn’t help. But eventually she stepped away from the Number Nine Door. “Fine.”

Sigma slowly walked up to her, his hands clasped together with apologetic nerves. “Phew… Look, I’m sorry about betraying you…”

“Forget about it,” Phi replied, “This time you chose ‘Ally’ and I chose ‘Betray’. We’re even.”

As she and Sigma walked away from the Number Nine Door, they found K, Clover and Luna looking at them with some confusion. Phi realised that they had no idea about the alternate timelines; everything that she and Sigma had said must have sounded completely insane to them. Phi’s suspicions were confirmed when they directed a barrage of questions at them.

Sigma started to answer, but Phi interrupted him. “Just drop it. There’s no point. I doubt they’ll understand even if you do tell them.” Not only that, but Phi wanted to keep her new-found advantage secret from those who didn’t already know about it. Sigma should be thanking her for reminding him to do the same.

“Well, at least it seems Phi has decided to remain,” K said once it was clear that none of his questions would be answered.

“Yeah. I’ll stick around a little longer,” Phi replied, “Like Sigma said, I can’t leave until we’ve figured out what’s going on.”

The last part of Phi’s speech was drowned out by the hiss of closing doors and an announcement blaring through the loudspeakers. “The Ambidex Gates have closed. Round three of the Ambidex Game will be the Star Round. Star keys are required to open the gates. There is no set limit on the usage of the star keys. The Ambidex Gates can be opened as many times as the players wish to open them.”

“As many times as we want, huh?” Sigma said, “Then that means we can just keep going, round after round, until we’re all over nine points.”

K’s finger tapped the cheek of his helmet thoughtfully. “You probably won’t be allowed to play it continuously. Remember, there’s a period of time between when the doors open and when the polling ends. About, ah, forty-five minutes, I think.”

Clover piped up. “Wait a second! Didn’t Zero Jr. say something about this: about when the Ambidex Gates close? Don’t our bracelet’s change?

Clover was right. Phi looked down to find that her bracelet’s colour had changed to cyan; not only that but she was part of a pair again. Among the other players present, Clover and Luna were the magenta pair, K was part of the yellow pair and Sigma was a red solo.

“Wait! If I’m a red solo, who the hell am I going through the next door with?” Sigma exclaimed.

“The cyan pair, I imagine,” K said, “Cyan is made from the primary colours blue and green. Together with your red, Sigma, that makes white.”

“So, you’re saying that the next set of Chromatic Doors are going to be white?” Phi asked.

“Yes,” K replied, “After leaving the archives, we found a warehouse very similar to this one. In it was a set of white doors. Well, to be precise, a set of doors which radiated white light.”

“Yeah, I saw ’em too,” Clover said, “They had the same little lock thingies. I’m one hundred percent sure they’re the next Chromatic Doors.”

Having said that, Clover turned away and headed towards the yellow door, clearly intending to check up on Alice. She made it halfway there before Sigma stopped her, gasping as he recalled something. He quickly described the bomb Phi had found in the B. garden to the other players.

“That’s not possible!” Clover exclaimed, “We didn’t see anything like that when we were there. There’s absolutely no way we could have missed it. We checked every part of the garden.”

“That’s not all,” Phi added, “From the pattern of the numbers, it looks quite likely that there’s a third bomb out there. We should split up and look for it. Sigma, you come with me.” That choice was not random. Phi intended to get Sigma alone so that they could discuss the alternate timelines in private.

“Wait, Phi!” Luna called out, “Even if we do find it, what are we supposed to do?”

K held a finger up to the mouthpiece of his helmet, shushing Luna. “That is a concern for later. At the moment, our primary concern should be finding it.”

“You can’t fight the enemy you can’t see, after all.” Phi pointed K, Luna and Clover towards the yellow Chromatic Door. “Go and tell the others about the bombs and get them searching as well. We have about two hours until the next set of Chromatic Doors open. We should meet back at the infirmary in about one hour. Okay?”

K, Clover and Luna followed Phi’s instructions and left the warehouse. Phi led Sigma out as well, this time via the magenta door to head to the elevator down. They had plenty to talk about.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_We've finally finished that AB Game! This signals the start of the final leg of the game: if I remember correctly, there's no more choices to make. Thanks to everyone who's commented with their votes; it was always interesting seeing your reasoning._

_Now, we move on. Who's looking forward to a physics lecture?! I'll see you there, in two weeks time._


	76. Two Minds, Many Worlds

Phi first led Sigma to the warehouse on the lower floor; she wanted to check out the white Chromatic Doors first. Getting there was easier than Phi had expected. There was a shortcut behind the blue Chromatic Door that must have been opened by the other teams as they returned from their puzzle rooms.

The warehouse on the lower floor was almost identical to the one they had just left except for three key differences. The first was the one the Phi had gone to investigate; where the row of Ambidex Rooms had been on the upper floor there was instead a row of three white doors, glowing brightly and with conspicuous lock displays as K and Clover had said. They were definitely Chromatic Doors.

The second key difference was the large door after the end of the row of Chromatic Doors. Though its position corresponded to that of the Number Nine Door and its shape and size were approximately the same, it was otherwise completely different: where the Number Nine Door was prominently highlighted and labelled with attention-grabbing red paint, this door sunk into the shadows and was completely plain; where the Number Nine Door had its lever just ready to be pulled – Phi’s fingers tingled as she remembered the way holding it felt – this door appeared to be sealed up entirely with no possible way of opening it.

Phi was just about to examine the third notable difference – another piece of blood-red graffiti adorning the left hand wall – when Sigma interrupted her.

“Okay, Phi. Why’d you drag me down here?” Sigma asked.

“Well, we need to talk about…”

Sigma interrupted again. “You know what? I’ve got questions I want to ask, first. I want to know how you got past me back there. You jumped super high, all the way up to the ceiling. It was just like when we escaped the Ambidex Room. How the hell did you do that, both times? Are you like… Batman, or something?”

“I already told you that I’m not. Remember? Also, Batman doesn’t have superpowers. He has skill and intelligence and preparation.” Much like Phi.

“That doesn’t really answer my question.”

Phi didn’t have an answer for him. Other than raw adrenaline, she had no explanation for what she had accomplished. “Right. Aren’t you curious about that graffiti?” Phi deflected.

Sigma appeared to have gotten used to Phi’s evasiveness. He sighed, but didn’t press the issue. Instead, he let Phi walk over and read the graffiti. ‘Memento Mori. If the nineth lion ate the sun.’

Sigma had read the graffiti as well. “Did a kid write that or something? They managed to spell ninth wrong. Who puts an ‘e’ in there?”

“Maybe it means something,” Phi said, “Sigma, do you know what the Latin part means? ‘Memento Mori’?”

“Hey now, give me a little credit. Even I know what ‘Memento Mori’ means. You see it all over the place. ‘Remember your mortality,’ right, something like that? As for the other part, it’s exactly what it says on the tin, right?”

Phi pondered it for a short while. “If this is supposed to be an anagram, like the one upstairs…” she murmured Phi tried to imagine different orderings of the letters to try and extract some meaning from it, but failed. This was nowhere near as easy an anagram as the one upstairs.

Sigma reacted to Phi’s struggling. “Don’t you know Latin? That’s gotta help.”

“I know a little. More than most people, I guess, but I’m not an expert,” Phi replied.

“Then how’d you know that phrase? ‘Elapsam semel ocasionem non ipse potest Iuppiter reprehendere.’”

Phi fidgeted. She had a decision to make. She’d mentioned that phrase to very few people and told the source of it to none of them. Her mother’s keepsake was too precious to her. But then, not trusting and keeping secrets from Sigma had almost caused a disaster. Phi had almost caused a disaster. This was her chance to change who she was. Finally, Phi relented.

“That’s from… um… this.” Hesitantly, Phi unclipped the broach and held it out. She almost snatched it back at the last moment but she overcame her instinctive objections and placed it gently into Sigma’s hand. Phi’s hand twitched nervously as Sigma inspected the broach, but he handed it back without even seeming to realise how difficult it had been for Phi.

“What is this?” Sigma asked.

“A memento of my late mother. Well…” As she opened up, Phi felt the words tumbling off her tongue. “I guess it’s something like a memento. She died right after I was born. I was raised by foster parents and they told me where the broach had come from. It was the only thing my mother had left behind.”

“What about your father?”

“Didn’t have one,” Phi said, “I never saw his face and don’t know his name. I don’t even know if he’s alive. Anyway, that phrase got to be almost like a prayer for me. Whenever I had to make a tough decision to make…” – she had plenty of those in her line of work – “I’d say it to myself. Sometimes I’d just repeat it to myself, over and over, like a chant. Before long, I had it memorised. It got me interested in Latin, so I started studying the language.

“‘Elapsam semel ocasionem non ipse potest Iuppiter reprehendere.’ ‘Not even Jupiter can find a lost opportunity.’ Sounds nice, doesn’t it? But, it seems kind of funny, now. I mean, look at us. We can do what Jupiter can’t. We can find our lost opportunities.”

 

It was time for Phi and Sigma to finally discuss their time-hopping ability. However, before Phi could continue talking, she heard footsteps coming from the shortcut back towards the elevator. Phi only wanted Sigma to hear what she was going to say; she might now be more willing to reveal her sentimental side, but Phi was still Phi. So, before the newcomers got there, Phi led Sigma out of the warehouse by the door next to the graffiti.

The first room they came to was the one behind the green Chromatic Door: the archives. There was no one inside so Phi pulled Sigma in and let the door close behind them. Phi looked around. Every single wall was filled floor-to-ceiling with bookshelves; apart from a few small items that might have been left around from the end of the puzzle the books were the only thing of note.

Sigma had been looking around as well. “This looks like a good place to hide a bomb. Where the hell should we start looking?”

Phi shook her head. “If it’s in here we’ll find it eventually. Search wherever you want.”

Phi watched as Sigma started removing books from the shelves and looking behind them, but didn’t help him search. She needed to think. The strange jumps of memory she had experienced reminded her of things her adoptive parents had mentioned before they died. Though their research had concerned only the most theoretical sciences and Phi had only overheard various fragments of it, they gave Phi a framework with which to understand.

“I’ll start with my conclusion,” Phi announced once she had finished thinking. Once Sigma had stopped searching and turned to face her, Phi continued. “Our consciousnesses seem to be able to jump through time. No… ‘through time’ isn’t quite accurate. It’s more like we move through worlds. Parallel worlds. Whole different universes, really. Do you know about the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics?”

“I think… I might have heard of it once or twice?” Sigma replied. It had been a long shot hoping that he had a good working knowledge of quantum mechanics.

“I’ll just explain it.” Phi tried to think of a thought experiment that would get the basic ideas across to Sigma without being too wrong. “Okay. Sigma, I don’t care what you do but could you move? Scratch your head, cross your arms, put your hands on your hips, anything.”

As Sigma obeyed, Phi squinted her eyes; it almost looked like Sigma was doing everything at once: half-there shades of him dancing across the archives in a variety of postures. But then, before Phi’s eyes gave up on reality entirely, the image before her settled into the most Sigma-like thing possible. The dirty old man had blown her a kiss.

After brushing Sigma’s gesture aside, Phi spoke. “You chose to do… that… just now, didn’t you? But you could have chosen to tap-dance, or to moonwalk. We’re just talking about possibilities here. Now, normally for people, most of those possibilities don’t matter. I didn’t see you tap dance or moonwalk. I only saw you blow a kiss.

“But things are different at the most basic level. For a really basic physical particle like a photon – a particle of light – all the possibilities do matter. A photon presented with two paths doesn’t choose to go left or go right. It does both. Both paths matter to the end result. You can tell by the patterns light makes when it hits the wall after going along either – no, both – of the paths.

“Remember that book about Schrodinger’s Cat? We saw that book in the crew quarters. I can probably try to explain it to you. Hey, hand me that box, will you?”

Sigma handed Phi a sturdy metal box that had been dropped on the floor next to him. Phi opened it up and placed three items inside: a stuffed lion, an inkwell and a red-coloured die.

“Okay, Sigma. Have a look at this.” Once Sigma had had a look at the contents of the box Phi explained, “From now on, the lion is a cat. Schrodinger’s cat. Alive, for now.”

“Alive… for meow?”

Phi clamped her hand onto Sigma’s mouth. His lips twitched felinely below her fingers, tickling them. “Oh man, this again. I’ll never finish explaining if you keep having to pun. But yes, the cat is alive for now. The reason I say, ‘for now,’ is this.” Phi pointed at the ink-well. “This is a vial of poisonous gas. It’s sealed. But there’s a sensor attached to it, just waiting to open it up when it senses some nuclear radiation.

“The radiation comes from this.” Phi pointed out the die. “This is a radioactive atom. It’ll either decay, releasing radiation, or it won’t. It’s random. Fifty percent chance it will; fifty percent chance it won’t. No-one can predict when or if it is going to happen. That’s why I used dice for it.”

“Now, we close the box.” Phi did so. “So, Sigma. What’s happened? Is the cat in that box alive or dead?”

Sigma thought for a few seconds. “Well, if the c-atom decayed,” – Sigma punned again, and Phi finally gave up on ever making him stop – “the sensor sensed it. The sensor opened the vial of purr-oison and the cat is dead. But that didn’t have to happen. If the c-atom didn’t decay, the cat is alive instead. Fifty purr-cent probability of each.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Phi said. Then she wagged her finger in front of Sigma’s face. “Well, it’s right mostly in the sense that it’s completely wrong. See, as far as quantum mechanics is concerned, that radioactive atom is like a photon. It doesn’t just make one choice; it makes both. As far as quantum mechanics is concerned, the atom both decayed and didn’t decay. So, Sigma: what does that mean for the cat?”

Sigma scrunched up his face. Phi could tell that he knew the answer; he was wrestling with its sheer counter-intuitiveness. Finally, Sigma forced out the words. “It’s… both dead and alive?”

“Yes. Exactly.”

Sigma exploded. “That’s crazy! How can a cat both be dead and alive?! That’s just… just… just crazy! It’s completely contrary to the characteristics of cats!”

Phi sighed. “If it helps, you can think of it by saying that the cat is dead in one world and alive in another. The thing is, both worlds matter, just like both paths mattered for the photon. That’s why we say that the cat is both dead and alive.”

“I meow-be understand that,” Sigma said, scratching his chin, “but it still doesn’t make a lick of sense. Do you really think that when we claw open the box, we’ll see a cat that’s both alive and dead?”

“Of course not. We’ll see it either alive or dead. As soon as you see it, only one possibility is the truth.”

“This is confusing.” Then, Sigma asked, “Anyway, what does this have to do with us?”

Phi took a few steps back from the box. “There’s one last thing I need to explain. Imagine I step out of this room, and once I’m gone you open up the box. When you do, you see the cat either alive or dead. What happens then?”

“If the cat is alive, I’d get it out of the box as quickly as possible and play with it. If it’s dead, we’d need to have a funeral for the purr thing.”

Phi nodded. Sigma might not understand the quantum mechanics yet, but he clearly understood the flow of the conversation and realised that Phi wanted two different possibilities to continue her explanation. “Okay. From your perspective, either the cat is alive and you’re playing with it or the cat is dead and you’re mourning.

“But I’m outside. I haven’t seen the cat yet. As far as I’m concerned, the cat is both alive and dead. As far as I’m concerned, you’re both playing and mourning.”

Sigma stuttered. “Both… playing and mourning? How does that even work? It’s weird enough that the cat is in two states at once, but… me?”

Phi shrugged theatrically to emphasise her point. “Is it really that strange? We’re only here because two things happened. You both betrayed me and didn’t betray me. I both didn’t betray you and betrayed you. Both things happened at the same time. From everyone else’s perspective, they only saw me reach nine BP, but that doesn’t change the fact that both choices happened.

“Quantum mechanics says that an atom can both decay and not decay. Schrodinger’s cat says that an atom can both kill and not kill a cat. And if an atom can kill a cat, why can’t a cat affect a person? Why can’t a person change the universe? The entire universe acts like quantum mechanics says it should, with all the many different choices mattering. As far as we’re concerned, all those different choices happen, at the same time. That’s the many-worlds hypothesis.”

Sigma took a few deep breaths as he struggled to process what Phi was telling him. “So… somehow we’re able to, like… combine our memories from all the different choices we’ve made.”

“That’s a good way of putting it, yeah,” Phi replied, “I mean, it doesn’t feel like that to us. Our brains want to interpret everything chronologically, so it feels like diving into another world for a bit and then back out again.”

Suddenly, Sigma’s head jerked up. “Oh! That’s how you knew my name right at the start. You’d jumped into another world.”

“Yeah. That’s the best I can figure out, at least.” With what Phi had just learned about her ability that was the best explanation, thought at the time it had felt much less dramatic. She’d only learned his name without remembering anything else from that other world. “Unfortunately, it seems like we don’t retain all our memories when we jump. I’m getting better at it but… maybe we only remember particularly important things. I’m not sure how it works.”

Sigma smiled. “Well, I’m glad to know you think knowing my name is particularly important.”

Phi chuckled with Sigma. She could trust him to maintain levity. “Well, yes, obviously. Still, most of the things we’ve remembered have been about life or death situations. You ‘remembered’ about the bombs. Then, you ‘remembered’ your way out of the control room. That got me into position to ‘remember’ where Alice had run to so I could stop her killing herself.”

“What’s causing this, then?” Sigma asked, “I don’t remember ever doing this before, so why would it start now?”

“If we knew that, I don’t think we’d be having so much trouble,” Phi replied. Then, a disturbing thought struck her. “I’m pretty sure it has to do with why we’re locked up here. There’s no way this doesn’t have something to do with whatever Zero Sr.’s plan is. Why else would he have left that Schrodinger’s Cat book in the crew quarters?”

“You aren’t kitten, are you? Maybe this is some sort of huge Schrodinger’s cat ex-purr-iment. All nine of us locked up inside the box,” Sigma suggested.

“I think you’ve got this backwards,” Phi replied, “We’re outside the box. The rest of the world is inside. Remember what I said? The entire universe behaves like quantum mechanics. I think that, when we step out of here, we might be determining the history of the world outside.”

Phi waited a moment to let that sink in, then turned back to the box, unmoved and unopened since she had used it in her thought-experiment. “So, Sigma. Shall we open the box?”

Before Sigma could object, Phi did so, wrenching the lid up with a suitably dramatic flourish. Of course, nothing had changed with the contents inside: the die wasn’t radioactive, the vial contained only ink and the stuffed lion couldn’t die anyway.

Still, Phi said, “What a relief, huh? Looks like the cat’s alive.” The symbolism appealed to her. With her quantum-mechanical powers, Phi would ensure the best outcome. Everyone had to get out alive, just like the cat.

 

Just as Phi slammed the lid of the box down, Clover burst into the archives. Panting heavily, she gasped, “Oh, good! There you are! We found it!”

“Found what?” Sigma asked.

“What do you mean, ‘what’?! What else could we find? The bomb! The other antimatter bomb! The number two bomb is in the control room.”

Clover led Phi and Sigma to the control room. At first glance, it was exactly as they had left it after solving the puzzle. But then, in the corner of the room and tucked away within the jumble of cardboard boxes, Phi saw a familiar glint. The missing antimatter bomb, labelled with the number ‘02’, was there.

“Did you tell anyone else about this, Clover?” Phi asked. It was important to get the facts of the situation as clearly as possible.

“Well, um… not really,” Clover replied, “But I wasn’t the first person to find it. K and Luna found it first. After they found it they came back to the infirmary and told all the rest of us. Everyone who isn’t asleep knows about it. So, yeah, everyone went off to look for you. What were you two talking about, anyway? The Ambidex Game?”

“More or less,” Phi replied cagily.

Clover squinted at her for a moment. Then she inhaled slightly as a gleam of realisation came to her eyes. “Oh, yeah! I checked everyone’s bracelet when we were in the infirmary.”

According to Clover, Alice was the green solo, Quark was the blue solo, Dio was K’s partner in the yellow pair and Tenmyouji was Phi’s partner in the cyan pair. That meant that the groups going through the white Chromatic Doors would be:

Phi and Tenmyouji would go with Sigma.

Clover and Luna would take Alice.

K and Dio would take Quark.

“Hmm… It’s gonna be a while before Alice and Quark wake up,” Sigma said, “What are we going to do about them?”

“We’ll just have to carry them. The secondary doors won’t open without all three bracelets,” Phi replied.

Clover piped up. “I’m on Alice’s team. I’ll make sure nothing bad happens to her when Luna and I carry her through.”

Similarly, Phi figured that K and Dio would be able to handle carrying Quark through their door. Therefore, she turned back to the most immediate problem: the bomb. “Okay. We need a plan for dealing with the bombs.”

Clover nodded. “Right! Alice said we should be safe unless the planter triggers them directly with the remote but we really, really shouldn’t just leave them here forever. I mean, if they go off then everything in, like, a couple of hundred kilometres is gonna get fried.”

As Clover said that, Sigma gasped with shock, gurgling as his voice got caught in his throat. “A couple of hundred kilometres?! What are you talking about? I thought the bombs only had as much power as a ton of TNT.”

“Yeah, they do,” Clover replied, “The problem is that thing. If the bombs go off, that reactor will kaboom too.” Clover pointed through the viewing window at the antimatter reactor inside. “And there’s about three and a half kilograms of antimatter inside. So, yeah: a couple of hundred kilometres in all directions vaporised. You know, it’s strange. There are only supposed to be eighteen antimatter reactors in the whole world. How the hell did Zero Sr. get his hands on one of them?”

“No idea,” Sigma replied, “He managed to get himself an AI and all that turbocuarine, so why not three kilograms of antimatter?”

“Wait. Clover.” As Phi spoke, Clover swung her head round. “How did you know that? All that stuff about antimatter reactors.”

Clover jumped away from the viewing window before stuttering nervously. “Um… during my training… they…” Clover clamped her hand over her mouth.

“Training for what?” Sigma asked, “I didn’t realise waitresses these days needed to know exactly how many operational antimatter reactors there are worldwide. Or how much fuel each one of those reactors might be storing.” It was already clear by this point that Clover was no sort of waitress.

“I’m sorry,” Clover said quietly, “I really can’t tell you anything else. It’s… classified… by the government.” Exaggeratedly craning her neck, Clover made a show of inspecting her bracelet. Her next words came out in a quick mumbled stream. “Okay; gotta go; only got an hour left before the doors open; weren’t we supposed to have met up again by now? Bye!”

The moment her mouth closed again Clover made a dart for the nearest door. Within seconds she had vanished.

 

Phi and Sigma were left alone with the bomb. Sigma started walking to follow Clover.

“She’s right, you know. We need to get going,” Sigma said.

“Not yet,” Phi replied sharply, “We still haven’t come up with any plan for dealing with the bombs.”

Sigma shrugged. “What can we actually do? We can’t move them. Unless you know who the bomb planter is we’ve got no chance to get the detonator off them. And we can’t deactivate them, either: we’d need to know the passwords, which I don’t, and Alice said we wouldn’t be able to use them unless we had a special input device…”

As Sigma said the word ‘device’, Phi’s head throbbed and the world around her, including Sigma, seemed to freeze. It took a moment, but then she realised what was happening. Her ability had activated. For the first time since she had come to understand it, she was about to dive into her memories from another world.

She was ready for it. This had to work; they had no other way to learn the information they needed other than by exploiting the many worlds. With a deep confident breath, Phi closed her eyes and let the vision take her.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._

_So, did you ap-purr-eciate the science lecture? I'd been wanting to completely rewrite the quantum explanation from VLR since the moment I started writing this fic. The big problem with the explanation in the game is that, like with all media that tries to quantum, it ends up describing the Copenhagen interpretation which is:_  
_A) Not the Many-Worlds interpretation. Not even close._  
 _B) The very thing that the Schrodinger's Cat thought experiment was created to criticise._  
 _Hence the complete rewrite to actually be about the Many-Worlds interpretation. I hope it's understandable. The bit I was most worried about was the part where I gloss over the details of the double-slit experiment, since I couldn't work them in naturally._

_This would have been where we hit **Plot Lock 14: Input: Input Device, Output: Success.** Fortunately, we picked that Plot Key up back in Alice's ending when we got the gold file back from Dio and saw the documents about the bomb inside it. We'll head through in two weeks time!_


	77. Known Foe

_We break through **Plot Lock 14: Input: Input Device, Output: Success** using the Plot Key taken from Dio during Alice's ending._

* * *

Phi let herself fall into the dream.

_Then, she was falling literally, tumbling onto the cold steel of the warehouse floor. She couldn’t see what, or who, had forced her over._

_Above her a golden binder, like the ones that she had found in the safes in the AB Room and the crew quarters, exploded, sending sheets of paper spiralling chaotically around her. Phi caught glimpses of images as then glided past her face: an antimatter bomb, then a big red button that looked like a detonator. Finally, Phi saw a sheet of paper titled ‘Password Input Device’ floating down towards her face._

_Phi lifted her hand and plucked the piece of paper out of the air. She read it. In the centre of the page was an image of a very familiar device: a small computer tablet with a proportionately large keyboard and a cable coming out of the top. It was the device that they had found in the control room._

_Then, through the paper she was reading and the whirlwind of falling sheets that covered her vision Phi saw something. A silhouette loomed menacingly over her. Phi squinted, trying to make out any details, but failed. There was too much in the way. Phi could only watch as the figure held something into the air and laughed viciously. Before Phi could do anything else_ she returned to the present.

“Hey, Phi! You okay?” Sigma was saying. He had leaned in close to her, staring with concern into her eyes and steadying her by the shoulders. Then, he gasped with recognition. “It just happened, didn’t it? The time-travel thing?”

“Yeah,” Phi replied.

“So? What did you learn?” Sigma asked expectantly.

Phi didn’t directly answer the question, instead asking. “Sigma, do you still have that device we found in the safe here?”

“Yeah, it’s here.” Sigma pulled it out of his pocket, holding by the screen and keyboard and letting the cable dangle towards the floor. “I haven’t been able to find a use for it anywhere, though. What does it have to do with the vision you just had?”

“It’s the password device for the bombs,” Phi stated bluntly.

“What?! Really?” Sigma carried the device over to where the bomb had been concealed. “We should check it out, anyway. I believe you; I just want to be sure.”

Phi joined him and together they located a socket on one end of the bomb. When the cable of the device was placed into the socket, the screen of the device turned on and a small light above the screen flickered red. The device was ready.

“You were right,” Sigma said, “All it needs now is a password. Let’s give it a go!” Sigma’s finger hovered over the keyboard.

“No!” Phi smacked his hand away with alarm. “Are you crazy? If you don’t know the password and enter a wrong one you could cause the bombs to detonate. That’s an obvious trap.” Phi paused. “Wait… do you know it? Did you just jump in from another timeline as well?”

Sigma unplugged the device, shaking his head sheepishly. “No… Still, at least we have the device now. I’m surprised Zero Sr. just let us have it. I thought we were going to have to search the entire facility.”

“My guess is that Zero wanted to make sure that the right people got it. The Nonary Game ensured that I, you and Luna would be the people to open the safe.”

Sigma shook his head. “But what if we’d gone in different teams, through different Chromatic Doors? It could have been Alice and Dio and Tenmyouji here, or Clover and Quark and K.”

Phi pondered. Eventually she came to an answer. “Recall how there was a lever and three doors behind the red Chromatic Door? Only the door leading here opened and we still haven’t been able to open the others. This is just a theory, but maybe another one of those doors would have opened for another team of players.”

“You already said that the Nonary Game is about our time-hopping,” Sigma said, “Maybe this is a way to make our choices matter more. It’s not just that different people enter each room. Our choices change which rooms open, so we have more things to play with in the different timelines.”

Sigma was right. Still, the glimpses of the true purpose behind Zero Sr.’s plan were frustrating. Phi scratched her chin, trying to think of anything else that would give insight on their kidnapper.

“You know, it’s curious,” Phi said, “The Nonary Game has been prepared for these bombs from the very beginning. The deactivation device was in this safe the entire time and the entire structure of the game was designed to ensure we could get it.”

Sigma nodded. Then, he tilted his head to one side. “Still, even if Zero Sr. knew about the bombs, I don’t think he planted them. It’s just a feeling, but…”

Normally Phi would have dismissed that reasoning, but she knew that Sigma’s intuitions were far more than mere whims. She nodded. “Well, we need to tell the others what we’ve found. Let’s go.”

 

Phi and Sigma returned to the infirmary to find – as Clover had said – that all the other players were there waiting for them. Sigma showed them the input device and explained where they had found it and how they had verified that it was the input device. Phi noticed that he was keeping the device close to his chest, secure from any attempts to snatch it away. They still didn’t know who the bomb planter was.

“Why was it in the control room?” Tenmyouji asked.

“Do you think Zero Sr. put it here for us?” Clover asked, tapping her finger against the side of her head.

K sighed. “That would imply that it was also Zero Sr. who set the bombs. How else could he have access to the input device for them?”

Phi was inclined to argue with K and could tell that Sigma was itching to do the same – they trusted Sigma’s inclination to disbelieve that – but Luna got there first.

“Doesn’t that seem odd, though?” Luna asked rhetorically, gesturing in the air, “Zero Sr. wants us to play the Nonary Game, right? Why would he set bombs?

No one answered. With the discussion stalled, Phi drew it back to the most important thing: disarming the bombs.

“The only things we lack are the right passwords,” Phi explained, “The bomb planter might be Zero Sr. or it might be one of the rest of us, but whichever way it is they probably know the passwords. If we interrogate them, we can deactivate the bombs.”

“Nice plan,” Dio said with a smirk, “There’s just slight problem with it, in case you hadn’t noticed. We don’t know who planted the bombs! Were you just expecting them to ’fess up or something?”

Phi smiled sternly. “The passwords aren’t the only thing the planter has. They’ll also have a detonator.” Phi knew this: the detonator had been in her vision along with the input device. “That’s why I want all of you to let me search you. If we find the detonator, we’ll know who planted the bombs.” As everyone glared at Phi, she continued, “No buts. If you refuse, I’ll assume it’s because you’ve got it, and you planted the bombs. Unless you want that, I suggest you co-operate. Clear?”

There was silence.

Then, without warning, Sigma spoke up. “Wait. You only need to search one person.”

“What?!”

Sigma continued regardless. “I figured out who did it. I… I know who did it. I know who set the bombs. That person… is you! Dio!”

Phi knew what had happened. Sigma had just recovered the memories from another history. There, he had learned who the bomber was. Phi’s threat to search all the players had been the trigger needed for him to access that memory.

Thus, Phi believed Sigma.

Dio’s reaction didn’t help him. He staggered backwards blatantly, stuttering, “C-Come on, what is this? Are you high?”

Sigma advanced on Dio sternly. He turned his head towards K. “Sorry, K, but could you hold him down? It’s on him, I promise.”

“Knock it off, Sigma!” Dio screamed, “You’re doing this all backwards. Where’s the evidence that lets you molest me like this!”

“This isn’t a court,” Sigma stated, “Besides, we all want to know who set the bombs. Why are you getting so worked up, anyway? If you’re innocent, a search will show that and I’ll look like an idiot.”

“That’s some bullshit totalitarian logic! What are you even basing this on? How do you ‘know’ I set the bombs?”

Sigma smirked. “You see, Dio… I know about the Myrmidons.”

Suddenly, Dio became a flurry of frantic motion. When Phi’s eyes were finally able to focus on him once more, he had backed away to the other side of the infirmary and was wielding a small black device – a detonator – in his hand, brandishing it against the other players. Dio’s recognition of the word and his reaction to it were conclusive proof that he was the bomber.

Dio laughed, gesturing wildly with the detonator. “Well, looks like I won’t be able to talk my way out of this one. Seriously, though, when did we get so famous? The Myrmidons aren’t something anybody should know about, let alone a joker like you.”

Phi recognised the word ‘Myrmidons’ as well. It stirred up memories and in her mind’s eye, Phi found herself _re-entering at the end of her vision. As the storm of falling documents subsided Phi was final able to see the menacing figure that had attacked her. It was Dio._ Phi’s memories from that other history and how Dio had reacted just now coincided.

At her heart, Phi was annoyed with herself. Why couldn’t she have learned this earlier, when she had first had the vision? If she had, they would have been able to ambush Dio properly, rather than letting him get his finger on the button. From the fact that Sigma had found out Dio and Phi hadn’t, she could come to only one conclusion.

Sigma was better at this than her. Something – possibly related to his photographic memory – ensured that that where Phi’s memories came as short incoherent visions, Sigma remembered far more information with far more significance. That was useful to know, despite being frustrating, but the immediate situation was far more important.

Dio continued ranting. “You got me. Yes, I’m the leader of the Myrmidons. My real name is Left. I was sent here to stop Zero Sr.’s AB plan. That’s why I planted the bombs. If it looked like the plan might actually succeed, I was supposed to blow the place sky-high.”

“‘AB Plan’? What’s that?” Sigma muttered. Even if Sigma had more talent at time-travel than Phi did, he had only just started to improve at it; it was no surprise that Sigma hadn’t learned Zero Sr.’s overarching plan.

“Well, looks like you don’t know everything after all. I should have been more careful. Then again, it’s not like it really matters. You’re going to die here.” Sigma took a sudden step forward but Dio brandished the detonator furiously. “Better not come any closer,” Dio said snidely, “You think I’m not prepared for this? Take one step and it’ll be your last. Back the _fuck_ off.”

Everyone took an instinctive step back at Dio’s command. Everyone, that is, but Tenmyouji. He stepped forwards.

“No,” Tenmyouji said quietly but firmly. He took another steady step towards Dio.

“I’m not screwing around here!” Dio roared.

“I can see that,” Tenmyouji stated. That didn’t stop him from taking yet another step forwards. “Why don’t you do it? Go ahead. Press that button.”

Why was Tenmyouji goading Dio like this? Did Tenmyouji have a death-wish?

But it appeared Tenmyouji had a plan. He spoke confidently, his voice reverberating off the walls. “There’s really something I should tell you. See, that detonator you’re holding… It’s fake.”

Dio froze, glancing at his detonator.

Tenmyouji leapt forwards.

 

Phi couldn’t make out what happened next, but when the action clarified, Dio was on the floor clutching his hand. Tenmyouji stood over him victoriously. He had every right to be; the detonator was sliding harmlessly away from Dio.

Sigma shouted frantically, “Shit! Not good!”

“What happened?” Phi asked. It was an unusual experience for her, but she realised that when Sigma knew details that she didn’t she was just going to have to rely on him. Soon, the problem became clear. With an ominously cheery beep, a red light sprung to life on the detonators edge.

Dio laughed heartily from where he lay on the floor. “You really fucked up, Tenmyouji! This is what happens when you try to show off.”

Sigma shook his head. “Sorry… This is my fault. I didn’t have time to tell you how it worked. The detonator isn’t supposed to be separated from Dio. If it is, then the timers on the bombs automatically activate.”

“Damn! How much do you know?” Dio asked, alarm entering his voice.

Sigma didn’t answer.

Dio shrugged. “Fine. Whatever. Well, he’s right. If that thing gets more than a metre from me, it activates. When it does, it starts the timers on all the bombs. So thanks to this old fart, you get to try and defuse a bunch of activated bombs on a countdown. Go ahead and destroy the detonator if you want. Now that the timers have been activated, they’ll go off anyway.”

Phi had to make a plan. Dio couldn’t have anticipated her and Sigma’s ability to jump between timelines; that meant they had a chance to survive this. Everything they learned could tip the balance. How long do we have? When do they explode?” she asked Dio.

Dio smirked. “You should know, Sigma. Why don’t you tell her?”

Sigma obliged. “Thirty minutes. We have thirty minutes to use the emergency deactivation passwords.”

“None of us know them, though,” K said.

Sigma nodded. “Right, none of us know. But there’s someone here who does, isn’t there? We have to make Dio tell us.”

Dio smirked. “Hoping I might spill the beans? Nice try. Unless one of you is a medium, you’re shit out of luck. See, it’s time for me to be moving on to the next world.” Dio reached his hand into his pocket and withdrew a small pill. He raised it slowly towards his mouth.

“No!” Sigma dived towards Dio. His arm reached out and forced Dio’s pill away from him, slamming Dio’s hand into the floor. Sigma pinned Dio down, but was shook violently about as Dio struggled underneath him.

“Let go of me, goddamnit! Get off of me! Let me go!” Dio screamed as he writhed about. It was clear that Sigma could only barely keep him down.

Eventually, Phi made a decision. “Luna, go get the Soporil,” she instructed.

“No!” Sigma argued, “If we put him to sleep, we can’t get what we need out of him.”

“You think I don’t know that? What other choice do we have? Every minute we spend wrestling with this prick is a minute that we don’t have to deal with those bombs. We don’t have time for this!” It was already clear to Phi that Dio wasn’t going to give up any more information.

Just because he wasn’t saying anything useful didn’t mean that Dio was quiet. “Do whatever you want to me, you fucking cowards! You’re still gonna die! Go ahead, tell yourselves you can fix it! Run around like idiots before you get blown to atoms! Serves you fucking right! You’re gonna burn!” he ranted.

Phi sighed. “Oh, for God’s sake. Luna, shut him up!”

Luna quickly ran over to the counter and prepared another vial of anaesthetic. After loading it into the gun, she knelt down next to Dio and delivered it into his arm with a smooth precise jab. Dio’s fight quickly left him as the Soporil spread through him. He fell motionless.

Sigma took the pill from Dio’s hand and held it away from himself warily. “Poison,” he said with disgust. Sigma took the pill over to the sink and dropped it down the drain. Once the pill was safely away, Sigma turned back to the others. “How much time do we have left?” he asked.

“About twenty-five minutes or so, I think,” K replied. He fiddled with his bracelet. “I checked the countdown for the Chromatic Doors when the detonator activated, and it was almost exactly on half-an-hour. That means the bombs will explode when the doors open: that is, in twenty-five minutes time.”

“What do we do?” Luna asked.

Sigma spoke boldly and confidently. “We put in the passwords and stop the bombs.”

Clover put her hand on her chin nervously. “We searched Dio, but he doesn’t have anything that might be a clue about the passwords.

“Then there’s only one option left,” Sigma said, “Intuition. We trust our hunches.”

Phi knew exactly what Sigma was talking about. It had to be them who attempted to disarm the bombs. She went to stand by Sigma before announcing, “Listen up, everyone! If we’re going to do this, everyone has to promise to do exactly as I say. No questions.”

The other players tentatively nodded.

“Good. Sigma’s coming with me. The rest of you need to carry Alice, Quark and Dio to the floor B warehouse. Wait for us there. Don’t wander off; don’t try to mess with any of the bombs. Just wait. Got it? Now get moving!”

The other players filed out, Tenmyouji carrying Quark, K carrying Dio, and Luna and Clover stretching Alice between them. Phi watched out through the exit door to make sure they all turned left towards the elevator without any fuss, then turned back to Sigma. Everything depended on them.

“Ready?” Phi asked.

“Yeah,” Sigma replied.

That was as good as they were going to get.

* * *

_This fanfic has branching storylines. To keep track of the various storylines, check out the[Flow Diagram](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ib1PwvdDhqQKJm6jfKOw8NezH502FUGN-r1Ob8u5cKQ/edit?usp=sharing)._


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